Heathrow Heap: Year One
by Heathrow Heap
Summary: Breaking away from the original tribe, the new tribe moves to a yard near Heathrow, where they find themselves living as they never expected.
1. A New Dawn

A NEW DAWN

By Rio

Storyline by Rio and Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter One - June

Moving around the rusting gate, Khan bent to sweep aside a few shards of a broken bottle that had been carelessly cast aside. Straightening up, he turned to the tribe, taking in their expressions as he spoke. "Well, here we are."

Victor was positively glowing, his hand gripping Cheetera's hand fiercely, his eyes bright. She looked equally delighted. Her head rested against his shoulder and she whispered something to him.

Nicole was looking around with detached interest. Starcatcher, holding Mattie's hands in his, seemed to be somewhat glazed over, as if unable to believe he finally had somewhere to call home. His mate had a radiant expression on her features, moving closer to him.

Fawn was rubbing her hands together, staring up and down at the bus. She moved a little closer to the grey-charcoal tom, touching his arm. Looking from the towering wreck of a bus that stood over them, he glanced at her, almost smiling. "What do you think?" She asked softly.

He looked up again. "Hmm..." He feigned deep thought for a long moment. "It's a freaking double decker bus."

"No." Khan corrected, gazing up at the double-decker ruin. "It's two freaking buses. There's another one on the other side."

Starcatcher chuckled softly, drawing his rainbow mate to him and kissing her softly on the lips. "It's great, Khan." He hugged Mattie closer to him and felt her purr of happiness and pleasure. They were free! They had a home!

"No!" Topper stamped a foot petulantly. "It's all wrong! There have to be three buses! Its a rule! Buses travel in groups of three, no more! No less!" He pouted in the Warlock's direction. "You need another bus."

Khan's lips threatened to rise, a twitch of a smile playing there. "Unfortunately, that is currently beyond my somewhat limited capabilities."

"Uh..." Topper blinked at the well-educated Himalayan. "Huh?"

Nicole grinned at him. "He said he can't get another bus, Tops."

"Then why didn't he just say that?" The grey demanded. Imitating wickedly, he rolled his eyes in mock-annoyance, his merry mood contagious. "'Somewhat limited capabilities...' By Rumpus...you sound like Rumblepurr."

Khan nodded. "My sincerest comiserations for the inadequacy of the arrangement for your exclusive tastes." Topper looked suitably blank. "However, I do believe there will be fitting compensation when I complete the exhibition of our territory."

"Help?" Topper's voice was tiny.

"He's got something cool to show ya." Nicole murmured softly from his other side, winking over at the Himalayan.

"Something cool? What is it?" Khan's brow lifted a fraction. "Tell me." The other brow lifted a little, his head cocking. "Oh, come on!" A tiny smirk curved Khan's lips up. "Please?"

The Himalayan faked a sigh of misery. "But you were so disappointed with the two buses, Topper." He shook his head. "I don't think you'll appreciate the...quaintness of this remarkable object."

"Tell me!"

"We have a..." He paused. Topper looked ready to shriek. Mattie muffled a giggle in her mate's fur, felt a rumble of laughter tickle through him. "No, I can't tell you. You'll be disappointed."

"Khan!"

"But I am only doing this for your benefit, Topper." By now, the two queens on either side of the grey tom were sniggering and Victor and Cheetara were fighting to keep their faces straight. "I would be frightfully ashamed to upset you."

"Upset me? Upset me?" Grabbing the Himalayan by his thick chest fur, Topper gave him a firm shake and wailed. "I'm upset already! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" He shook the cream tom for emphasis with every screeched. "Tell me!"

Khan blinked stupidly, then broke into a grin. "All right," Straightening up, he carefully pushed Topper's hands from him. "Mind the fur and I might tell you...we have a..." He looked at the queens, who were giggling. "Ladies, I would be most obliged if you would cease your mirth."

"KHAN!"

"Pinkcadillac."

The grey double-blinked. "Wha...?"

"We...erm...we have a Pink Caddilac."

Topper's eyes grew huge. "A Pink caddy? Seriously?" Khan nodded. "Lemme get this straight...they have a flying tire, an oven and an old car with an illegal registration plate...we have two buses and a caddy?" Khan nodded again. "Cool! I think I'm going to love this place!"

Nicole reached over and squeezed his hand fondly. "Strange taste and we still love ya anyway, Caddy." She chuckled. "But how about we let Mister Magicko finish his show before you decide if you like the place."

"I wanna see the caddy!"

Victor smiled faintly. "Khan," He remarked in a reprimanding tone. "You forgot to tell the boy about the tree houses." Topper gaped at him, looking about ready to faint from sheer delight.

"I had my reasons for that, Leader." The Himalayan waved a hand up and down in front of Topper's glazed-over, grinning face. "As you can see, I did not need to employ any abilities..." He flicked his fingers and Topper yelped, an electric spark zapping his nose. "But the Lady Nicole is correct. We must let you find your rooms."

Rubbing his nose indignantly, Topper looped his arms through both Nicole and Fawn's, flashing a wide grin at Fawn. "Okay. I wanna have first dibs on the tree houses or the caddy, 'kay? I'm important, like. I'm the Chronicler."

"And you take priority over the Leader?" Starcatcher cocked his head.

Topper grinned widely. "Naturally!"

* * *

One black arm rose slowly until it was parallel to the ground, level with the focused black and white face. "You must be aware of everything at once." The muscular arm swung in a smooth motion motion, replaced with the other muscular appendage.

_So we look like we're doing ballet, _Sebastian watched the Sentinel with a nod, almost letting a grin escape when the huge black and white made a movement that reminded him of a routine during the Jellicle Ball.

"Now, you try." Stepping back with a bow reminiscent of a Sensai in Japan, Quaxo watched neutrally, as Sebastian repeated the flowing, steady motions perfectly. There was only a flicker on the Sentinel's stoic features when a lilt of music whispered in the air. "I do not believe you are taking this seriously, Sebastian."

The younger black and white glanced at him. After Quaxo, he - Sebastian - was called the most serious and broody person in the yard. "My pardon, Sentinel." He cocked his head slightly, moving alongside Quaxo again.

"Perhaps we should attempt it in unison?" Quaxo's question brooked no refusal, the younger standing a step behind the older Sentinel to follow the correct motions that the superb fighter displayed.

Raising his left arm, the Sentinel, raised his hand to the level of his face, his other arm bent parallel to his broad chest. He glanced at Sebastian, who immediately assumed the position and nodded gravely.

The moment the older tom looked away, though, there was the merry sprightly tune of a waltz shrilling through the air. The junior Sentinel from the Heathrow tribe vainly attempted to look innocent, stopping himself from bouncing on the spot.

"You are in an...unusual mood today?"

Sebastian bit the inside of his lip. How could he tell the Sentinel that he was in the same mood as always? It just was usually unnoticed, what with the lurking and the hiding in shadows and the brooding and whatnot.

"Pardon again, Sentinel." Quaxo started to look away, when the younger Sentinel started to Cha-Cha on the spot, barely moving. The latino rhythm started immediately, drums beating through the air and Quaxo fought down a smile.

There was a long pause, as Sebastian pulled his feet back under his control. The younger of the two massive black and whites loved to dance. Despite his size, he was surprisingly graceful and it was driving his trainer to distraction.

Every time they started a set of defence motions, the tom would find a dance to match it. Every two minutes Quaxo would stop himself, almost caught up in some catchy salsa tune or...

He shuddered. How Sebastian had learned a dance routine to a tune that humans called 'Night Fever', he just did not wish to know.

"If I may, Sentinel..." He nodded. "Why are these moves so important? They don't seem to be anything more than blocking and defence tactics. Are you going to teach me about attack?"

"Please recall what I taught you yesterday, Sebastian." The younger nodded. "To attack, unless seriously provoked, is both foolish and dangerous. Defence is far more important, but if you wish to see how our steps will help you..." He gestured for the younger tom to sit.

Moving to the edge of the car, Sebastian glanced around the quiet yard, noticing several people appear, watching the scene as Quaxo moved calmly to the centre of the open ground. Whatever was about to happen, he could sense the interest and excitement. Unusual.

Straightening to his full height, the huge Sentinel inhaled a long, slow breath, pressing his palms together, level with his sternum. His eyes closed for a moment, a breathless hush settling over the random observers.

What occured next was quite literally breathtaking.

Every slow, careful movement the Sentinel had taught his junior counterpart the day before flowed together in a display of skill and speed. It was incredible to see the black and white blur that was Quaxo punching and kicking, ducking and weaving.

"Try to attack me, Sebastian." His voice was a low growl. The younger took up the generally known attack stance and waited until his senior was within range, but he never even got one hit.

The motions were so fluid, so swift, Sebastian managed a squeak of shock, when he was suddenly flipped onto his belly and pinned down by his elder.

Panting lightly, Quaxo straightened up and pulled Sebastian to his feet. "You see, little brother." He growled. "Defence is by far more important than attack." He paused, drawing a huge breath. "However, I will show you several...killing blows, lest you need them."

Sebastian brushed the dust from his chest, glancing around the yard and praying that he was not about to be used as a punch bag again, as an example. Quaxo seemed to see his apprehension.

"We should find someone so I can properly display the attack stances for you." He gestured to younger tom to follow, prowling off towards one of the sidelines of the yard, just outside the infirmary, where several cats lay in the sun.

Sebastian glanced down with distracted interest. Shadowdancer was not present, but his mate was. Leaning against the side of the tub, her pure white kitten was suckling quietly on her breast.

Curled on a small blanket beside her, a less familiar feline lay, asleep. Black and white - like him - her head was pillowed on Sundancer's thigh, a small patterned kitten drowsily mewling in the crook of her arm.

She was unusually thin and delicate-looking, even for a member of the tribe. Pretty though. Sebastian cocked his head slightly, trying to see her face. All he could make out was the white diamond of fur on her face.

Pulling his attention away, he looked over at Quaxo. The Sentinel was inquiring as to the location of Shadowdancer and Sebastian felt a surge of gleeful pity for the poor black tom cat.

"Come, Sentinel." Quaxo turned to him, after Sunny replied with a laugh and caution not to damage her beloved to much.

Sebastian glanced down at the black and white queen again, wondering where the father of her kitten was. _She shouldn't be left on her own without the tom, when she's so tired, _he decided firmly.

It was only when he caught Sundancer smiling up at him, a knowing look in her eye, that he turned swiftly and trotted after Quaxo.

* * *

"So it is settled?"

Casting a despairing glance in the direction of the Cadillac, the flecks of pink still visible beyond the dumpsters, Topper whimpered. "But we have a Caddy and no one is using it..."

"No one apart from the human infants." Khan reminded him. He was sitting an the bottom of the steps of the bus nearest the gate. The guardian and Chronicler glanced over in frustration at the large pink automobile, clearly wanting the car. "Do you know where the other members of our group have selected for their lairs, Chronicler?"

The grey tom brightened at his title. "Starcatcher and Mattie managed to build a narrow ladder to the roof of the deserted shed with the crates." He gestured to the building that had once been a garage. "There was a broken window in the roof and it seems safe enough inside. They've found some old chests with linen and they'll bring it down once they've made themselves comfortable."

Khan nodded, rubbing his neck pensively. He had hoped someone would accept the shelter provided by the old shack. They did have the buses, that was true, but they seemed more adept to serving as meeting points.

Or at least one of them would. Possibly as an Infirmary and Nursery when the time came too.

The shack was old, but spacious with two large levels. Clearly abandoned, it was dangerous for the hefty humans to lumber around in, but Jellicles knew how to be lightfooted and - despite his size - Starchaser was no exception.

"Vic and Cheetara have placed dibs on the top deck of the Victoria." Topper gestured to the other bus. This one was in slightly better condition, although it did have it's share of grafitti and broken windows. "Vic says they'll keep a space for Seb up there, when he finally decides to join us."

"I'll stick around here." Nicole swung down the staircase behind Khan, dropping onto her haunches beside him. "Hope you don't mind, mister mysticilees." He gave her a faint smile. "I'll take that as a no, I don't mind."

He shook his head. "Of course I don't mind." He squeezed her hand gently. "I didn't want to be the only one out in this heap on my lonesome." He glanced wistfully up at the bus and they did not need to be told who he was thinking of. "Fawn is setting out where the infirmary section will be, is she not?"

Nicole grinned. "This is gonna be the Magic bus." She replied, gesturing for Topper to sit with her. "She's sectioned off one side near the stairs for the infirmary, as if we're gonna need it now. There ain't enough of us."

"That leaves me to do what I like, huh?" Topper practically pounced the red-gold queen, who shrieked and batted at him. "Can I take one of the tree houses?" He nodded to the tree furthest from the bramble bushes that obscured the front of the yard, near the high brick wall at the back.

Apparently, the lot had been intended to be a childrens play area, with old dumpsters cleaned and prepared as climbing objects and rope ladders half-strung between the trees with small house-shaped forts built in their branches.

However, whatever had ceased the construction had lead the yard to - once again - become a dump site. It was very different to the yard of the senior tribe, but it had enough to make them feel at home.

"Are they safe?" Fawn dubiously looked over at the tree houses, carefully picking her way down the staircase.

Topper nodded eagerly. "They were made with some weird, thick wood. All I need to do is block the biggest openings up with wood and things and I'll have a perfect little house." He pointed to his chosen home, the southernmost tree that stood between the wall of a warehouse and the other bus. "It even has a front door!"

"Simple things amusing simple minds, I see." Starcatcher called from across the lot, a smile creeping onto his face. He was helping Mattie down from the crates that they used to reach the window to enter the shed that stood perpendicular to the warehouse.

Topper dignified him with a mature gesture and stuck his tongue out. "Just because you wanna live in an attic."

"It's a building." Mattie replied with a happy grin. Something about the queen seemed to be practically glowing with life, her eyes dancing and a permanent smile plastered on her pretty, colourful features. "Buildings are great things."

"Yeah," Topper nodded wisely. "They're so big and hard and wall-y."

Khan smothered a smile, glancing at Victor. "You are content, Leader?" He asked, receiving a wide grin from the tabby. Cheetara had her arm through the Leader's and looked equally bright.

"Incredibly." He replied, nodding around. "I just wish that May..." He shook himself, looking to Cheetara and receiving the gentle reassuring smile that was growing increasingly familiar from the pretty young queen. "What about you, Khan?"

The Himalayan did not appear to hear him, gazing up at the red brick wall of the old warehouse. Victor cocked a brow, looking up at the wall and seeing nothing. Topper shrugged and looked eagerly over at his house.

"Wanna come and see?" He demanded. "It's really cool!"

Nicole and Fawn both shrugged their assent, while Victor lead Starcatcher, Mattie and Cheetara up into the upper level of the bus past the mystic. He was oblivious, his expression neutral, his blue eyes focused.

"Guess lover boy's thinking of Stareye." Nicole murmured, climbing the half-broken rope ladder that was trailing along the ground, ascending to Topper's house.

Fawn nodded. "Poor guy's got it bad."

"And the great big red wall reminds him of her?" Topper smirked at them. "That's what I call romantic."

Back on the step of the bus, Khan let the growing unease appear in the slightest wrinkle of a frown on his smooth, domed brow. Resting his hands on his knees, he stared up at the wall.

Something about it seemed...odd.

"Khan?" He raised his head slightly at Victor's voice, half-forcing a small smile. "Do you want to tell me what's eating you?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

Victor squatted down beside him. "Don't lie to me, Khan." He spoke quietly and Khan was pleased to note the faint edge of authority that was creeping into the young leader's voice. "I know something is worrying you. What is it?"

"It's just a feeling, Leader." He distractedly looked to the wall again. "I am not certain what it is...something feels rather..." He spread his gold-cream hands in a shrug. "It feels strange."

Victor's frown matched that of the warlock. "Is it a threat?"

Khan shook his head slowly. "Not necessarily." He replied. "It's...you recall the human words - someone walking over your grave?"

"When they feel uneasy?"

"Exactly. I have that feeling. It may be nothing, but..."

"But it may be something?" Khan nodded again. Victor glanced up at the voices of the others descending the stairs. "Keep me informed, Khan." He murmured, touching the mystic on the shoulder. "Anything of import, report to me."

The Himalayn rose to stand level with the Leader. "Of course." He gave a small bow, then glanced around. "Perhaps we ought to set up the posts for guardians and the magical talismans, before we do anything else, Leader?"

"That sounds good to me." Flashing a grin at Cheetara, Victor touched the tom's hand fondly. "You do what you must and we will arrange the Sentinel and Guardian posts. Sebastian should be joining us soon."

Khan bowed deeply once again, moving away to do what he had to, his small satchel of tokens from Mistoffelees materialising in his hand.

* * *

"So you comprehend the necessity for defence over attack." Shadowdancer did not even look over when he heard the voice of the Sentinel approaching. He was on his way to the nursery, to find his mate.

As usual, she was looking after the little black and white queen, both of them nursing kittens born on the same day: his and Sunny's son and Domino's little black, white and gold daughter.

"But if you must attack, it is necessary to do it with speed and cunning." Quaxo's voice was closer. No doubt he was still training the Sentinel of Victor's tribe, the big black and white tom. He - Shadowdancer - had often been called into help Quaxo with traning brought from 'the other side', as the tribe liked to call it.

He was about to glance around to greet them, when he felt a foot connect firmly with the back of his knee. His leg buckled, the force enough to knock him off balance. He almost fell back, when an arm locked around his neck.

"QUA-!" Another hand was cheerfully clapped over his mouth, his eyes wide in surprise. The Sentinel's knee kept his legs pushed away from his, holding the black tom off-balance.

"You see." Sebastian was standing in front of the pair, trying desperately hard not to laugh out loud at poor Shadowdancer's shocked expression. "Speed is of the essense in attack. You must catch them off-guard and silently."

Shadowdancer managed to utter a squeal from behind the large white hand.

"How would you perform the killing blow in this position?" Sebastian clinically examined the position, ignoring the glare from the large black tom cat.

Quaxo shifted one arm, lowering his hand from Shadowdancer's mouth. "This is the neck blow." He replied, gesturing to the position of his hand. "To kill like this, you would not stop in this position..."

"C'mon, Quax...what did I ever do to you? Just cos I'm a black cat..." The hand was replaced over his mouth and Shadowdancer whimpered as the Sentinel shifted his arms slightly, his voice calm.

"Instead of stopping, as soon as you had your arm here..." Sebastian followed the line of the arm. "One swift jerk would or at least should be sufficient for someone of your size to snap the neck of someone of his size." He lifted his forearm and elbow slowly, to show how the attack would work. "Have you understood?"

Sebastian nodded. "Arm round his neck, jerk up hard under his chin and...snap. No more big uglies?" Muffled grumbles came from the former Enforcer, his eyes narrowed in hurt at the black and white. "Oh...pardon, Guardian. I did not mean to suggest that you are..."

Quaxo released the black, who rubbed his throat with a wince. "At least warn me when you're going to pull something like that!" He complained bitterly. "I had Pro for training last night. I'm a walking bruise!"

"Poor dear." Quaxo actually smiled down at him and he faked a scowl. "I'm sure Sunny will kiss those bruises better."

That seemed to brighten the Guardian up a fraction, until he found himself bent backwards over the Sentinel's thigh, his feet skittering on the ground. One white hand pressed down on his windpipe and he managed to grunt. "Quaxo!"

The Sentinel chuckled. "Just think of all those bumps and bruises that will have to be kissed better, Shadowdancer."

The black's grumbles dried up almost immediately.

"Now, Sebastian, to perform this manuever..."

* * *

Peering around the gate, the Warlock sniffed the air. He was in the human area now, but there did not seem to be any present. The pouch slung on his shoulder swung heavily against his hip as he stepped through the gate, which was ajar.

Several huge dumpsters full of leftover food and refuse stood against one wall. A door was in the same wall, to the right of the gate, a scent of food wafting from the window beside it. So that was where the human children emerged from...

Against the opposite wall, several large, metal cylinders stood. They - too - were filled with rubbish, mainly papers and the like. A large rusting old skip with a wheel missing haphazardly leaned against the wall.

Moving a little closer to the door, his nostrils flared, the delicious scent of succulent, smelling food drifting on the warm air. That meant that there would probably be some scraps of food at the very least.

If he recalled his location right, in comparison to the high street on the far side of the buildings, this was a cafe, or some kind of strange eating location. It was rather interesting to look at too: colourful with stalls and barstools and a large jukebox in the corner of the eating area.

If their eating area looked so unusual, the Warlock pondered, it explained why they had that car that Topper was so obsessed with. Old-fashioned and certainly a rarity. It all seemed to fit together neatly.

He chuckled. Weird humans with weird taste...a weird taste that was shared by one of their junior guardians. If Topper had been human, he would have fitted right in with the humans who worked and lived here.

Still, he couldn't have them disturbing them in the yard.

Reaching into the satchel, he withdrew a small jewel. One day soon, he mused, tilting it in the dim light, he would have it fitted onto his collar, a pretty and powerful decoration that complimented his fur perfectly.

Moving to the gatepost, he placed a hand against the wood and brick, closing his eyes briefly. Yes, this would probably one of the most easily breached areas, along with the front gates - which were already hexed.

For once in his life, he had to thank his father. Because of the years spent training him for his supposed position as Heir, he knew exactly how to judge the strength and weaknesses of an area.

His mystic abilities only served as emphasis.

A stir in his surroundings made his eyes pop open. His eyes scanned around the dim passage. Another Jellicle was near by, an unfamiliar one. Looking down the dark alleyway, he bit his lip.

Where ever it was, it did not seem to be a threat. At least not for now. It was simply sitting, observing something. Something, Khan realised, that was probably him. The sooner he was back inside the yard, the better.

Etching a rune carefully into the wood of the doorway that surrounded the peeling green gate, he whispered an incantation over it, touching his glimmering blue gem to it. The rune glowed bright white for a moment, then faded.

It was done.

Replacing his burr crystal into his satchel, he glanced up at the dumpsters.

Some food for the tribe was the new priority, while the rest of them settled and made themselves comfortable with rags and clothing from the ancient trunks in Starcatcher and Mattie's attic.

Those dumpsters would be perfect supply areas. After everything else had been done and the yard was protected, they would come here and perhaps pick some scraps up for a tribe meal together.

And perhaps, he added as a hopeful afterthought, they might find the Jellicle he could sense nearby.

Edging back through the swing-gate, he did not see the crystalline eyes blinking down at him from above, the brilliant blue-green eyes that had watched his every move with undisguised interest and bewilderment.

* * *

"Toss 'em up!" Topper leaned over the edge of the 'balcony' of his house, yelping in indignation when a skillfully-thrown pillow hit him squarely in the face and fell back down to be caught by the giggling Fawn. "Hey!"

The queen did her best to look innocent. "What?"

"You did that on purpose!"

"Obviously." She winked at him and he tried his best to appear annoyed. It did not work and he felt a tickle of pleasure at her mischievous expression. Faking a glare, he extended his hands and waited, catching three pillows in rapid succession.

He heaped them up and slid into his small tree-top house. So far, he had several old blankets from the attic spread on the floor, covering it. He had sheepishly admitted to Mattie that maybe attics weren't such bad things after all.

"Looking good." He swung and almost knocked Fawn backwards out of the tree in his surprise. She managed a squeak of shock and his hands caught her, pulling her back in. "Note to self..." She clung to his arms and he didn't feel the need to complain about it. "Never sneak up on you again."

He gave her a sheepish grin and gestured her in. "Welcome to my humble abode." A pillow hit her and was swiftly followed by two more. She yelped between giggles and watched him try to aim the fourth before cracking up and tossing it into the corner.

"Whatcha gonna do about the windows?" She gestured up at the gaping openings at the higher levels of the little structures walls, determined not to let her attention wander over his body again.

Topper shrugged. "Victor said there was some plywood kicking around. I thought I might board them up from inside and out. After all, Star's got all those tools and if I needed to...maybe Khan could wiggle his fingers and do some hocus pocus..."

"Gotta love a magic kitty." She grinned, fluffing one of the pillows that had landed beside her and heaping it with the others. Topper glanced at her for a long moment, saying nothing. "What? Is my fur a mess or something?"

He gave her a lop-sided grin. "Not yet!"

The tawny healer gave a shriek of protest, laughter and terror as the dark grey guardian pounced on her and promptly started to tickle her, pillows and blankets scudding every which way.

"Can you believe those two?" Victor chuckled, glancing over towards the little tree house, shaking his head.

Nicole rolled her eyes expressively. "Typical Topper." Was all she said, drawing a chuckle from both of her companions.

Cheetara and Nicole were both helping Victor to carry a large, rolled-up woollen rug up the curved stairs of the Victoria bus that was to be the home of Victor, Cheetara and the Sentinel - when he arrived.

Succeeding in hauling the rug over the top of the stairs, Victor steered the two queens around to the spot above the bus entrance. A barrier stood between it and the stairs, hiding them from anyone who may ascend the staircase.

"Will this do?" He asked, as they laid the thick scarlet, blue and yellow rug down on the floor. Cheetara nodded, panting. She had spent several hours tidying up the mess of rubbish that had been left on this bus, cans and glass littering the floor.

"We need to get something to seperate Sebastian's area." She murmured, glancing to the other end of the bus. The black and white tom was a puzzle to her. Something about him seemed to suggest that there was a long, painful story behind his calm, stoic features, but Victor had not told her and she had not wanted to pry.

Victor, however, had insisted the quiet, lurking tom would share the level of their bus. He had always been with him, Victor had said, so Sebastian would remain with him, as before.

Luckily, she liked the big tom, but she didn't really want him sharing their sleeping area. Flushing at how possessive she felt of her tabby - her tabby, she giggled - she knew Victor would not object.

As long as Sebastian was with them, near them and as long as Victor still had his huge best friend and protector, all was well.

The tabby looked down the bus, gnawing his lip thoughtfully. "We have the places where the rails are." He said, pointing to the two hand rails that ran the length of the roof of the bus. "If we can string up some kind of rope, then we could put a curtain up to separate the rooms."

"Need any help with that?" A deep voice murmured.

"Seb!" Victor barrelled over and clapped the newly arrived Sentinel on his huge shoulders. "When did you get here? Didn't hear you come in!"

Sebastian almost smiled. "Just arrived. Khan's toys went crazy. He was just setting one when I walked past and it sparked and shot him in the rear." Victor chuckled. "I won't be here long, though, Vic."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "My training..." He shrugged. "It's taking longer than Quaxo anticipated and the first Queen, Demeter..." He paused for a long moment. "She says I ought to stay, at least for a few days...maybe even a month or so, to be ready."

"Queen Demeter told you that?" Victor echoed.

Sebastian nodded. "I know she's a seer, but why would she 'see' that I have to stay in the yard when I could be defending here? I could learn from Starcatcher."

"Well, Munk respects Queen Demeter's abilities, so I guess we'll have to do the same. Do you want to stay there? You're welcome to join us any time, you know that, but I don't want you there if you don't want to be."

The black and white looked around. "I want this place to be safe." He replied with quiet firmness. "If training is what I need, I will have it. As long as you have enough protection while I'm away, I'll stay with the other tribe until Quaxo stops getting annoyed that I'm a better dancer than he is."

"Oh God, Seb...don't tell me you've been jiving again!" Nicole groaned, burying her face in her hands. Sebastian shrugged helplessly. "No wonder your training is taking longer than he expected."

Cheetara chuckled. "Don't worry, Seb." She patted the large tom's arm. "You set your room up and we'll keep it that way, until you come back to it." She paused for a moment. "Or until Topper tries to steal the pillows...then, I'm afraid we're helpless."

"Thank you, Cheetara." The black and white nodded gratefully. "Leave me the little runt and I'll sort him out."

"Now where have I heard that before?" Nicole glanced wickedly at Victor, whose ears telegraphed embarrassment, recalling the occasion when Sebastian had literally put the smaller tom over his knee and spanked him.

Of course, it had all been Topper's fault, but Nicole was still always happy to giggle over the image of their current leader being spanked by their Sentinel. And she wasn't about to let either of them forget it.

"Mention that again, Nic," Sebastian turned his calm gaze to her. "And you'll get the same treatment." He flexed one huge hand. "And you know I'm not joking."

Nicole winked. "Promises promises, big guy."

All Victor and Cheetara could do was laugh, as Sebastian crossed the floor in a blink and pinned the shrieking red and gold queen over his knee, his large white hand spanking her firmly.

* * *

"Happy?"

"Mmm-hmm. You?"

"Perfectly." Starcatcher found his mate's lips in a soft kiss, drawing her into his arms as they sank down onto the low mattress on the floor. "Have I told you how much I love you lately, Mattie?"

Carding her fingers through his mane, she smiled. "Not since we moved from the floor to the mattress." She whispered seductively, brushing her cheek against his with a husky purr.

Lying beside her, his arm trailing lightly over her body, he traced the soft, full curve of her hip. "Then," He murmured, bending to kiss her once again. "I love you on the mattress too."

"I suspected that." She murmured, toying with his ear, her other hand stroking over his broad shoulder. Their lips met again, the queen mewling as he pulled her to him, her arms sliding around his body. "Rumpus, Star..." She broke the kiss, tears of happiness springing to her eyes. "I love you so much."

He, too, had tear-filled eyes, gazing down at her. "Why are you crying, dearest?"

"Same reason as you." She whispered, nuzzling his cheek. "We did it, Star. We're free...we have a home, a place to belong, a tribe..." There was a lingering pause as she found his hand, sliding it down her body, her eyes never leaving his. "All we need to make it complete is a..."

"A family." His voice was shaking and he nodded. Capturing her lips in a fierce kiss, he cradled her to him. A gasp of pleasure escaped her as they joined, her happy tears spilling over as they slowly and tenderly made love.

Sinking down together in the afterglow, the former Enforcer kissed his mate gently, tenderly, brushing her loosened, long fur back from her pretty eyes. "Mattie, beloved, what is it? I-I didn't hurt you...?"

Clinging to him, she was panting and weeping softly as he drew the blanket around them both, her face resting against his chest. "I can't believe it all, Star." She whispered their bodies still intimately joined. He nodded, holding her closer to him. "I dreamed of this so often and now, it's happened..."

Abruptly, her mate was on his back, the colourful queen's mouth finding his again, her chest pressing to his. "Once wasn't enough, eh?" He teasingly ran a hand up her thigh when she pulled back, hands splayed on his shoulders.

"Don't tease me." She growled playfully, her mane wild around her face. Something about the mussed look made her look even more enticing that usual, her curvacious body pressing far to intimately to his.

"Jut checking, lover." He murmured, smiling. His hand ran through her rainbow mane and pulled her mouth to his again, a low purr beginning in him and echoed in her, their bodies responding to one another immediately.

Making gentle love once again, Starcatcher held his little lover close as the twilight descended and sleep captured her. Her glorious colouring caught the faint hues of sunlight peeking though the roof windows and she had never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.

"If this is what freedom does to people," He half-yawned, half-murmured, drawing the blanket around them again, cuddling her closer. "We have to get it more often."

* * *

"Take care of yourself, Vic."

"And you, Seb." Clasping on another's hands, the two toms were standing at the gateway, the Sentinel about to return to the other yard. "I'd hate to find that Quaxo decided to use you as a punchbag."

The black and white's eyes smiled. "Well, at least I would be useful to him." He replied with a low buzz that the Leader interpreted as a chuckle.

"And stop putting yourself down so much." Cheetara added.

"And don't spank a queen." Nicole added, with an aggravated glare and a pointed rub to her indignant rear. "It just ain't gentlemanly."

Sebastian would have winked at her. "Whoever said anything about me being a gentleman must have been as crazy as you, Nic." He remarked, turning to shake Topper's hands firmly. "And, kid, you better have a yard left when I come back. I do still want the sentinel role."

"Don't you trust me?" Topper feigned hurt.

Sebastian just looked at him. "Do I have to dignify that with an answer?"

The grey guardian failed in his attempt to look hurt. "Right. I'm going to be very depressed now. Who'll be the lucky lady to comfort me?" Fawn and Nicole both grinned at him, but neither moved. "Oh, come on...just one of you? Please?"

"And on that note," Sebastian bowed to both Khan and the couple who had just appeared from behind the dumpsters. "I will be on my way. I'll be back as soon as I feel I am ready."

Standing at the gateway in cat form, the little tribe watched the large black and white pad off down the alleyway, until he was out of sight. There was a long silence. Then, it was broken, as most expected, by Topper.

"Right. He's gone. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

Making his way quickly through the fairly quiet streets, grateful that most normal humans were safe in their houses, Sebastian ran steadily on towards the home of the first tribe, wondering briefly why he had not told Victor.

Perhaps it was the disbelief he was still feeling.

Someone needed him in the yard.

Someone needed him.

No matter how many times he repeated those words to himself, he couldn't help feeling incredulous.

It sounded too strange, but Demeter had taken him aside and told him that he had a purpose in their yard and according to everyone he had asked, it was very rare for the gold tabby to be wrong.

Why anyone would need him, he could not imagine. True, he had been Sentinel, but something in Demeter's expression said this was a need of a different kind. Not a need for his physical strength.

A need for him.

That was the thing that made him nervous about going back to the yard. He had tried to explain to Demeter. He had tried to tell her no, it was impossible, it must have been a different black and white tom she had seen.

She had been adamant. He _had_ to stay. He _had _a purpose.

But then, when he had asked what, she had blinked and gaped at him, before asking where she was and what was happening. He had been unable to learn anything more and now, he was on his way back.

Maybe, he mused, it was curiousity. Morbid curiousity.

Whatever it was, Demeter had seen right and now, he would be stuck in the yard until that someone needed him enough to find him. He exhaled a panting breath. The sooner the better.

* * *

"Smells good." Starcatcher hoisted Mattie up onto the top of the dumpster beside him, the others waiting down below. Khan was prowling after a rat, his eyes glittering gleefully as it tried to flee.

"What is there?" Topper was bouncing on his toes, eagerly trying to see what they had found in the garbage. A half-eaten burger dropped down and was caught by him. "Whoa! We're living outside a burger bar! Cool!"

"You'll get fat." Fawn teasingly poked him in the ribs and he looked indignant. "Hey, I don't want you losing your looks anymore than the next queen."

"Flattery'll get you everywhere." He winked and handed her the burger.

"Found anything remotely edible?" Khan seemed to have forgotten about his rat hunt momentarily, gazing beyond the dumpster for a long moment. His blue eyes flicked up to Starcatcher, who tossed a barely-touched piece of steak to the mystic. "Well," He sighed, pretending to be disappointed and dusting the steak with Topper's tail. "I suppose this will suffice."

Nicole chuckled. "This is too weird." She drawled, catching a handful of meat tossed to her by Mattie. "We have a Misto who looks like Mac but talks like Rumble...and probably eats like Topper."

"Hey!" Topper yelled around a mouthful of burger.

"Sad but true, sweetie." She winked at him, moving away from him to sit on the step to nibble on her meat.

Khan glanced at her with a tired smile. "I don't know whether to be flattered or offended, Nicole." He remarked, turning his attention to his meat. "Perhaps, as soon as we all have sufficient to eat, we should return to the meeting point?"

Victor cast a wary glance at the mystic. "Is it important for us to go there, Khan?"

"I think it would be better for us to gather somewhere secure, Leader." He had told the young tabby about the presence he had felt there earlier in the day and now, blue eyes drifted inplicitly towards the dumpster, through which Starcatcher and Mattie were scavenging.

Cheetara was placing lumps and scraps of food into a small bucket she had found inside the yard, probably a child's that had been dropped and abandoned. "Well, we don't want to be around when the humans show up, do we?" She added.

"They'll probably throw a bucket of water over us." Topper grumbled, recalling a similar incident all too well. He snatched a sausage from Nicole and grinned widely, darting through the half-open gate.

She glared after him. "Vic, you're gonna have to do something about him."

"Don't look at me." The Leader grinned over at her. "I'm not here to discipline kitten-wannabes. I just have to stand around and look pretty when Munk comes to visit."

Fawn and Khan had both started after Topper. Mattie and Starcatcher were climbing down from the large dumpster, laden down with fresh food, some half-eaten, some barely touched.

Nicole pouted at Victor. "It's not fair." She remarked. "I don't even have Sebastian here to spank him for me anymore." She rose to her feet gracefully, frowning at what sounded like a sigh from nearby.

"Never mind, Nicci." He chuckled, laying a hand against her back and steering her towards the gateway. "I'm sure you'll come up with something cunning to revenge yourself on him with."

The pair of felines paused briefly at the gate, the red queen picking up several more scraps that had been dropped by the former Enforcer and his mate.

Neither of them saw the blue-green eyes peering out from behind the dumpster, fixed on the stunning queen. She drifted through the gate, followed by the tabby who glanced around warily before moving after her.

As the gate swung shut, the feline emerged from the shadows, a small smirk creeping onto his features. "Well, hello laydees!" He drawled, shaking his fur out with a motion that could only be described as Tugger-ish.

The image of a red-gold queen was burned into his mind and the tom swung around, sauntering off and humming a tune to himself.

"Blessa mah soul whats a-wrong with me? I'm itchin' like a man in a fuzzy tree. My friends say I'm actin' queer as a bug...I'm in love, Ooh! I'm all shook up, uh-huh-huh..."


	2. Neighbours

NEIGHBOURS

By Rio

Storyline by Rio and Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter Two - July

"Where ya goin'?"

Topper spun round to find Nicole standing less than two paces behind him. Yelping, he staggered back a step, hand clutched to his heart. "Geez, Nicci! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that!"

"Once a day, give or take a dozen times." She smiled smokily. "So, where ya goin'?"

He raised a finger in the air and sniffed once. "Smell that?" She nodded; seeming a bit put out that he had rejected her...implication. The scent of cooking meat was sweeping through the yard and they could both smell it. "I wanna see what it is."

"Always thinkin' with your stomach, huh?" She gave him a teasing grin. "Mind if I tag along? Smells interesting..."

He shrugged. "Fawn's coming too. I'm sure that at least one of us will be able to nick something from whoever it is that's cooking it." Offering his arm, he tried to make a debonair bow. "My lady?"

She curtsied coquettishly. "Good sir." Taking his arm, she chuckled as they moved from beneath his tree, Fawn joining them as they rounded the large Piccadilly bus and shifted into the house cat forms to pass through the gate.

The trio stopped short.

The large door that was usually closed, the one between the food dumpster and the junk dumpster, was open. A gleaming kitchen stood beyond a white tiled hall, a flight of stairs visible, facing the door.

The scent of delicious cooking grew stronger as they carefully edged closer. "Up for a challenge, ladies?"

"I am if you are, handsome." Fawn winked at him and he felt Nicole's paw skim over his rump, accepting that as approval.

"Ladies first."

The red queen chuckled. "Wuss." She murmured, as she slinked through the opening of the door, unaware of a calm pair of eyes observing her. The other two followed, both looking around furtively.

A pair of humans were working in the kitchen but seemed oblivious to the triad of cats. Several plates of food sitting on a small trolley near the door of the kitchen, the trio all but obscured.

"Look at that!" Fawn whispered in awe, gesturing to a large and elaborate-looking knickerbockerglory that stood on the trolley. "Have you ever seen anything that looked so good?"

"Well I can sure see something."

All three sponged at the unfamiliar, merry voice. Spinning around, they searched for the speaker. "Th-that sounded almost like...Tugger." Nicole murmured, glancing up and down, almost missing the shadowy form on the stairs.

"That's what I thought." Fawn agreed, her eyes coming to rest on the silent figure on the stair well.

The feline stood up and gazed down at them. Then, a voice that sounded almost exactly like Tugger's drawled. "Well, hello, pretty ladies."

"Tugger?" Topper was spinning in circles again, looking around. "Tugger, man, this just isn't funny! Come out where we can see you!"

The cat on the stairs, scrambled over the banister rail and dropped to his paws right in front of the two queens, looking them up and down with interest, then turned to the bewildered grey tom. "Who's the loon?"

Both queens gaped at the tom. He looked like a replica of Coricopat. Sleek-furred and patterned, but his voice! That was the thing that made them stare at him more than anything.

A Coricopat who spoke like Tugger.

It was just too disturbing for words.

"You...was it you that spoke?" Nicole took a step towards him, to check that it was his mouth that created the sound.

The tom chuckled. "Pretty lady, I don't see anyone else." He inclined his head in a cocky little bow. "And can I say you look even better up close than from a distance."

A blur of gold and cream announced the arrival of a very flustered mystic. "What are you doing in human territory?" He demanded, his eyes falling on the brown, black and white tom, which smirked at him. "So it was you..."

"Hey, man," The new tom strutted towards Khan. "I just wanna thank you for bringing the foxy ladies into my humble abode." He glanced at them again, his eyes lingering on Nicole's face for a moment. "Thank you very much indeed."

Khan eyed him suspiciously, Topper edging behind the mystic. "And you are?"

"The only kitty whose paws are allowed to touch this mat, Golden boy." The tom grinned infectiously. "But, seein' as I haven't had company for a while, heck, I'll let y'all come on in."

Topper whimpered. "He's scaring me, Khan...he-he-he looks like Cori...but he has the voice of-of Tugger."

"My dear Topper," Eyes still carefully on the tom, Khan patted Topper's shoulder reassuringly. "It must be a facsimile of your extrasensory perceptions that this tom has assumed the replicationary appearance of our good associates at the other assembly."

"Most remarkable." The Tugger-voice disappeared. "Another intellectual equal with verbal capacities to reach an equilibrium with my own! And to think that I was quite insensible to your imminent arrival until I witnessed the isolation of _la belle chat _in the unacceptably dire domain outwith my home."

A grey hand waved over the now-gaping Khan's shoulder. "Translation? Please?"

"The man can talk like a toff." The Tugger voice returned. All four of the tribe were staring at the patterned calico, who was smirking again. "What? Just cos I talk like the King don't mean I can't be a gentleman?"

"You still haven't told us who you are."

The tom regarded Khan calmly. "And you still haven't told me why you came into my home uninvited."

"We were hungry." Topper grumbled loudly, receiving a pointed glare from his two female companions.

The tom glanced at him. "Like burgers?"

"Well, yeah."

"One moment...if you wouldn't mind stepping outside the door..." He moved passed the trolley and nodded. The four exchanged glances and stepped outside. The tom sat upright, pawing the floor and started to mew.

Topper sniggered and received a mock-glare from the tom. The kitten-like mewing did not cease until one of the humans crossed the floor and bent to rub the calico behind the ears.

"Singing for your supper, eh?"

The tom purred and the human moved to the music device on the window ledge. A song none of the felines recognised started to play, but the tom on the kitchen floor seemed to recognise it.

Swaying from side-to-side, he started to mew in time to the music and the humans applauded, returning to the work surface and snatching a handful of goodies to place in the bowl near the door.

Only then did the man lift his face and spot the wary quartet of felines. "Well, bless me!" He laughed. "Helen, come and take a look at this - Bertie's brought some friends for something to eat."

Fawn and Nicole looked to one another, both mouthing one word. "Bertie?"

"They're only humans." The tom drawled, moving around the face them, his half-smirk still in place. "You can call me Presley." He half-inclined his head, lifting his chin with a cocky grin as one of the humans bent to ruffle his fur.

A large plate of meaty scraps was placed on the ground beside the step and the human male stepped back, looking pleased with himself. "Well, kitties, any friend of Bertie's is a friend of ours."

"All right!" Topper was grinning in delight, lunging for the bowl, only to feel a paw on his tail.

The tom that called himself Presley shook his head once at the Guardian, who looked confused. "Ladies first." He purred, his eyes settling on Nicole once again. She smiled prettily and moved to the plate with Fawn.

"Th-thanks." Gulping down several scraps of juicy meat, she felt a bit unnerved by the Tugger-grin that kept flitting in her direction. She had never really liked Tugger's attitude and now, when she was finally free of it, she had another one of them living next door and eyeing her like Tugger did Cassie.

Releasing the indignant Topper's tail, Presley settled down on his haunches, sitting upright. His tail wound around his forefeet, his expression calm and lazy, a definite variation of the Tugger expression.

Moving between the two queens and the grey tom, Khan sat down to face the calico, his blue eyes fixed on the tom's careless face. They stared at one another balefully for a long moment, then one calico paw extended.

"Kinda nice to meet someone new." The tom drawled as the humans shut the door behind him. A gold paw touched his, the warlock still carefully surveying the young tom's features.

"Forgive us for intruding so rudely."

Presley shrugged. "Hey, I ain't gonna kick up no fuss. Haven't had no one to talk to for...well...a long time..." He glanced passed the Himalayan towards the gate. "I'm guessin' you guys live somewhere out there, huh?"

"In the yard just beyond the gate."

Presley chuckled softly. "On the buses?"

"I wanted to live in the pink caddy, but Goldielocks, here, wouldn't let me." Topper complained around a mouthful of something, receiving a dirty look from Nicole, who he had kindly sprayed with food.

The house tom eyed him. "You wanted to live in the caddy too, huh?" Topper blinked at him, nodding eagerly. "I was born there...my ol' mum gave the humans a shock, dropping me on the leather seats."

"So you've been here a long time?"

"My whole life." There was a flicker of some odd emotion in the blue-green eyes, but it was quickly disguised with a cheeky sparkle of mischief. "So, how many of ya moved here? I saw ya out here, pickin' up scraps."

Khan seemed to have judged the tom safe and actually smiled slightly. "There are nine of us."

"Eight." Fawn corrected. "Seb's at the other..." She trailed off, looking worried that she had said something she shouldn't have. "Uh...sorry, Khan..."

The warlock waved a paw dismissively, turning his attention back to the calico tom, who looked like he was about five years old. "You have no tribe?"

"Like I said, haven't had anyone around for a long time. Last cat I talked to was my ol' mum and they haven't let me out of the yard since she..." He shrugged again. "I guess I've been on my own for about three years now."

Khan looked to the other three felines. Each one met his eyes and shrugged in a way that said 'Why not?'. He turned back to the calico and looked him over once again. "I would like you to meet our leader. Would you agree to it?"

"Big stripy fella?"

"That's him."

"Sure, don't see why not."

* * *

Cheetara's lips almost rose in a smile. The snuffling against the sole of her foot began again, but she bit her lip, smothered the laughter that was bubbling up. A cool nose rasped against the pad of her sole.

Hiding her face in the pillows, she faked a yawn, hoping it would be enough to stop her laughing out loud.

It worked.

Briefly.

The same, familiar muzzle started to journey over her heel, up her calf. Warm breath teasingly ruffled the thick fur and she curled her toes, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Again, she tried to remember if sleeping on her stomach when Victor was bored was a good idea or not. All sensible thoughts seemed to scatter, though, when his sand-papery tongue traced the back of her knee.

A muffled gasp escaped her and she pressed her face into the pillows, wondering how long he would tease her, before he even acknowledged that she had a part of her body above neck level.

Usually, she capitulated and pounced on him before he even got to her thighs, but she was determined to outdo him one day. She would NOT start to laugh, she would NOT jump on him and kiss him senseless, she would NOT...

Victor grinned up at her, her legs straddling his waist. "Good morning, dear."

Smashing her mouth down against his with unnecessary force, she pulled back and grinned back at him. "I almost had you there." She stated proudly, trying to ignore his fingertips tracing the spotted pattern on her legs.

"Of course you did." His hands roamed up over her thighs, coming to rest on her hips. His fingers continued to move in lazy circles. "I knew you weren't asleep, you big faker."

"How can I sleep, beloved," She murmured, her hands resting on his shoulders, gazing down at him. "When you insist on waking me up in such interesting ways?"

He chuckled throatily. "You call that interesting?"

"Compared to the bucket of water, yes." Bending to catch his lips again, she gasped against his mouth as his hand traced over the base of her back, a tingle of pleasure spreading through her.

He smiled up at her, his expression innocent. "I liked the bucket of water approach."

"Huh?" Eyes half-closed, she tried to find a coherent word, failed miserably. Even swallowing hard several times did not help, his clawed fingertips slowly scratching at her tail root.

"I liked the bucket of water." He breathed again, his eyes meeting hers. "You looked so tempting soaking and dripping...and..." A dreamy look crossed his face. "I got to dry you."

"Uh huh..." Her hands caught his jaw, lips meeting again. "Can we stop talking, please, Vic?" She murmured huskily, her body pressed against his. The purr that ran through him made her shiver again.

Rolling her onto her back against the rugs and pillows, he half-smiled. "Perhaps." He replied, kissing her gently again, feeling her respond to his caress. Then it was gone and her eyes popped open. "But later."

"Vic!"

He was on his feet, smoothing his ruffled fur down. "What?" He looked surprised to be asked.

"You can't just stop like that..."

Bending, he lifted her chin and kissed her deeply. "I can." He whispered softly, barely a warm breath in his ear. "It'll make later on even better." She blinked up at him, the smile he gave her making her stomach flip in anticipation. "I'll be back soon, beloved one."

"Uh..."

Swinging towards the stairs, he glanced back with a slight grin. "Very eloquent." He chuckled, bounding down the twisting staircase.

Cheetara moaned in annoyance, flopping back against the pillows and blankets that made their little 'nest'. He was just too good at that, teasing her until she thought she could not bear another minute, then leaving her to wait.

But...

A small smile reached her lips, one hand running down the front of her body.

It was always something incredible when he returned, blowing her mind with the anticipation and the reward that he always gave her for being so patient. The smile widened a fraction.

It was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

"Nice place." A black heap of fur and muscle dropped down in front of the calico, rising to tower over him. The calico looked the Guardian up and down, twisted his lip in a slight smirk. "Big..."

"Whose this?" Starcatcher rumbled, eyeing the young tom curiously.

Khan stepped alongside him. "Starcatcher, this is Presley. He lives in the restaurant with the humans."

"Correction, my friend." Presley interrupted. "_They_ live with _me_." He repeated the cheeky grin. "No one can own the King." He gave a shake of an imaginary ruff of fur around his shoulders.

"He think he's Tugger or something?" Mattie asked, descending from the bus step and moving to her mate's side.

The calico looked at her quizzically. "Whoa! Boys! Stand aside! Another foxy laydee!" Starcatcher growled slightly and Presley raised his hands with a laugh. "Easy, big fella. And who's this Tugger ya keep mistaking me for?"

"You don't wanna know." Nicole muttered under her breath. "One conceited ape is enough. We don't need more."

Presley glanced at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. With a shrug, he turned back to the former Enforcer and his pretty mate. "Nice to meet y'all." He gestured to Khan. "I got an invite from this guy."

"Khan?" The voice spoke with unmistakable authority. Victor was learning rapidly and strode from the Piccadilly bus to take in the new arrival. "Am I to assume that we have a new member for our tribe?"

The mystic looked at Presley. "He's Presley, a house cat, Leader." Khan summarised under his breath, loud enough for the leader to hear. "He was orphaned several years ago, been cared for by humans ever since. He knows nothing of Ivy and Macavity. He is strong, so I would say he would be a safe addition."

"Hi, Presley. I'm Victor." Offering a hand to the calico tomcat, Victor inclined his head in polite greeting. "I am the appointed Leader of this mad little bunch. Do you want to join our number?"

Presley looked at the outstretched hand, then at its owner. "Do I wanna join your gang? What do I gotta do if I join up? If I gotta knit bootees or sew pillow cases or somethin', I am outta here!"

"Nothing like that." Victor couldn't help chuckling. "You just have to do what you're best at, as long as it helps the tribe in some way." The calico's hand touched his, but Presley looked distinctly sheepish. "Welcome, Presley." He frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"I gotta do what I'm best at?" Victor nodded, raising a brow. "Uh..." Looking even more sheepish, the tom looked down at his feet, wriggling his toes in the dirt. "Well, I ...uh...I'm kinda good at sewin' and knittin'..."

None of the rest of the group could hold in the laughter, doubling over and clutching at one another, while Presley's blush shone through the few white patches of fur that scattered his body.

* * *

The sun peeked through the leaves of the trees. The branches shifted in the faint wind, the air hot and warm. On a rug beneath one of the three trees, Nicole lay on her belly, toying with the fringe.

She wanted to nap, to rest, to anything, except think about that damn annoying little tomcat that had just joined their little group.

Sitting up, she glanced around the yard and exhaled an aggravated breath. Even when he wasn't anywhere near her, she had the sneaking suspicion that he was watching over her.

Part of her was flattered, but part of her screamed that he was an annoying little tom who probably ran after everything that had a tail and curves. After all, he had flirted with little Mattie as well...

She ran her fingers through her mane, moving her hand to retie the purple scarf that was around her neck. The closest thing she had ever had for a collar, she fingered the soft material and found herself thinking of a collar.

A white leather collar with blue rhinestones studding it.

Presley's collar.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" Flopping back on the rug, she threw her hands over her eyes. It was times like these that she wished it was just the old crew. She missed just sneaking into Topper's sleeping quarters, just playing around.

The grey tom seemed to have something else on his mind lately. He barely even noticed her attempts at flirtation. The only tom that did was - of course - that dratted calico, who was currently driving her mad.

Not that he'd done anything.

It was simply his presence.

Rolling onto her belly, she worked her claws into the rug beneath her. No doubt she just needed to fool around with someone. She needed to get rid of the extra tension or something like that.

Glancing at the tree house, she shook her head with a sigh, resting her chin on her folded arms.

Not just now, though.

* * *

Sprawled lazily on the broad hood of the Cadillac, Topper yawned, glancing at his sitting companion. The new tom - in his opinion - was going to be a fun addition to their tribe.

After all, the tom was already willing to sit on guard duty with him, on the sun-warmed bonnet of the obscenely pink car.

Presley's arrival in the tribe had gone well. No tears, no fuss, just a series of greetings and a brief mind probe by Khan, who had later admitted that he had never seen so much of Elvis Presley in one place.

Presley had just smirked at him.

It was just a shame that the poor tom's first association with Cheetara - Victor's usually quiet and polite mate - had been when she pounced on him, assuming he was her mate, coming back into the bus.

Shifting his head to rest on his forepaws, he cast a sidelong glance at Presley. To his surprise, the young tom had reacted remarkably well. He had managed to utter a single syllable that sounded similar to "Guuuuuuuuuuh!".

The abashed Cheetara had fled to the other end of the bus, closely followed by the laughing Victor, who was tickled with amusement at his mate's interest and very apparent eagerness.

"OH CRAP!"

Both toms jerked upright at the human holler, the gate to the restaurant swinging open sharply to reveal Helen. She looked equally startled by the voice and stared down the alley.

All three gaped at the sight.

A tall, dark-haired man on a lime-green bicycle was trundling rapidly down the sloped drive towards the pink car, his feet skidding uselessly on the ground. "I can't make it stop!" He howled, fighting for control of the handlebars, the front wheel shaking all over the place. "Brakes have died!"

Topper dived off the bonnet of the car and disappeared underneath, the bike moving far to rapidly towards them for his liking. He heard Presley chuckle and peered out warily from beneath the fender.

The bike's out-of-control manoeuvre looked certain to leave it in a collision with the parked Cadillac, but the moment before it hit, there was a soft thump as the brakes were applied.

The tyres stopped less than an inch from the car and Topper was started to realise he was panting. Edging out from beneath the car, he watched the human lean over the handlebars of the bike and roughly pet Presley, who cast a wicked grin down at the shaking grey tom.

"Andy, that's the fifth time you've done that this month." Helen folded her arms over her chest, trying to look annoyed with the young dancer-in-training. "It wasn't funny the first time and certainly isn't now."

The brunette flashed an engaging smile at her, hopping off his bike. It looked like a wreck, the colour a hideous shade. Pink flowers peeked out from beneath the paintwork that was clearly done by a non-professional.

"Bertie likes it, don't ya, puss?" The tom stretched up onto his feet and stalked towards Andy's outstretched hand. The teen grinned and petted him again. "See?"

"Well, Bertie is also as crazy as you are." Helen replied, shaking her head. "Do you have a chain for your bike? If you don't want it nicked from out here..."

He chuckled. "You paint it lime green and make it look as crappy as possible and no one in their right mind would want to steal it anyway." Tossing it carelessly alongside the Caddilac, he bent down and peered under the car. "'Ey, Helen, did ya know you have another cat here?"

"We've got a whole bunch of them living out there." She gestured to the yard with a wooden spoon. "They're keeping the rat population down..."

Topper backed further under the car. He didn't like humans. The big, clumsy beings had always managed to hurt him in the past. Presley hopped down beside the half-squatting Andy and stared at him.

"Whatcha hiding for?"

"He's a human."

"And?" Presley butted his nose against the young human's arm and received a scratch behind the ear for his effort. Andy received a purr and grinned. "This guy's okay, Tops."

Helen cleared her throat. "Ahem?" Andy looked round at her and Topper took the opportunity to squeeze backwards to the other side of the car. "Shouldn't you really be doing what you came here for, Andy?"

"Eating all your burgers?" He grinned engagingly, whimpering slightly as she thrust a flowery, plastic-covered apron in his direction. "But I wanted the one with the Harley Davidson on it!"

Helen chuckled, gesturing him through the gate. "Sorry, kid," Her voice drifted back to them as the gate shut. "I got first dibs on that one today."

Waiting until the gate was closed, Presley rounded the car and stared at Topper in bewilderment. "What the heck was that about, Tops?" He inquired. "Why'd you act like a bush-baby when Andy tried to see you?"

Sitting behind the car tyre, merging into the shadows, Topper shrugged. "I...I don't like humans very much. They don't like me either." There was a long silence. "What kind of human is he anyway? Is he one of their tribe?"

"Andy?" Presley chuckled. "Nah. He works for Helen and Bertie." The tom stretched out on the ground next to the car and eyed Topper. "He's not a bad guy, that one... knows how I think, which is great."

Topper edged out from beneath the car and settled on his haunches, his tail curling around his feet. "Your humans...they don't..." He picked for the words, frowning. "Do they hurt you?"

"Me? Nope! One hundred percent kitty lovers." The calico chuckled slightly. "They treat me like one of their kittens." He flexed a hind leg. "Look, Tops, come into the cafe one day and see what they're like. I can't imagine not having them there."

"Wouldn't they mind?"

"Me bringing a pal in? Doubt it...and there's something I just gotta show you..."

Topper half-grinned. "Why do I suddenly feel very scared?"

"Because you're a sensible boy." Presley grinned back, hopping gracefully to his patched feet. "Now, how about we hop back up on the car and see if we get freaked by any more passing cyclists?"

"Next time, we slash the tyres, right?"

Presley's smirk widened. "I like the way you think, my friend."

* * *

Sitting beneath the spreading branches of the trees, the four queens watched the toms trying to lug some of the massive, old, wooden crates away from the centre of the yard to the edges, out of the way.

While normally, she would be chatty and playful, Mattie could not seem to take her eyes off the huge form of her mate, often having to be spoken to at least twice or three times before she decided to give an answer. "What is with you today, girlfriend?" Nicole gave the patterned queen a nudge.

Mattie – to their surprise – clapped her hands over her mouth and started giggling, her eyes dancing. "I'm just happy today!" She choked between giggles. She ran her hand over her belly, something she had been doing a lot for several hours.

"Um…can I touch you, just for a second, Mattie…?" The rainbow queen nodded, grinning giddily. Fawn laid a hand lightly on the other queen's chest, her eyes closing briefly. "Ho boy…"

That only made Mattie giggle more. "So I'm right?"

"That was fast work, Matt!"

"Anyone want to tell us what's happening?" Cheetara put in, watching Fawn's hand move in slow circles on the queen's belly.

Both queens exchanged looks. "Do you want to tell them?"

"I'm pregnant!"

"WHAT!" The quartet of queens glanced across the yard just in time to see the former Enforcer and one of the largest toms present keel over in a dead faint, taking one yelping mystic and sniggering leader down with him.

Mattie frowned slightly, failing to hide her grin. "Maybe I should have told him when he was sitting down, huh?" She remarked, pushing herself to her feet to go and wake her mate up.

* * *

Stepping carefully around the swinging gate, Presley's eyes wandered around the alley. Andy's bike still stood against one wall, which meant the funny, big clown of a human was still around.

The calico tom chuckled.

Of all the humans he had met, Andy was one of his favourites. Crazy, lively and completely mad, the singing, dancing teen would have made a perfect Jellicle, if only he had been born in the right form instead of one of those clumsy human ones.

Glancing back at the fence, he recalled the little tribe there. It had been several days since he had first joined their number and he was rapidly learning who was what and what was who.

Victor, the Leader, was a good sort. He knew when to lighten up, but when to be strict too. His mate was cut from the same kind of mould, although – Presley grinned wickedly – she did have nicer legs than her mate.

Khan was a puzzle. There was something about him…something melancholy and distant that seemed to keep the golden-cream tom's head in the clouds. Probably a queen, he mused, the root of all toms' daydreams.

Starcatcher and Mattie were just the average cute couple in love. There was something mentioned about a dark past, but he didn't feel like picking at it. Fawn fitted in with their group too. Quiet and happy.

Topper, his new best bud, his amigo, his MAN, was a cool cat. He had never lived in a house, something that impressed the house-raised Presley greatly. To be tough enough to survive the rough outdoor life and be such a cool tom was something the calico envied beyond explanation.

However, one kept crossing his mind.

She had been fitted into a special place in his thoughts, ever since he had seen her sitting on his doorstep almost a month and a half previously.

Nicole.

Even just the sound of her name made a nice feeling swell inside of him. Even if she kept glaring at him and trying to ignore him. Teasing her was such a bundle of laughs, if only she wouldn't take it so seriously.

He sighed and pushed his way through his cat flap. One of these days, he would have to talk to her, instead of winking at her every time he saw her. But, a nervous shiver ran down his spine, that would involve actually talking and making conversation with the most gorgeous figure he had ever seen.

No Elvis movie had told him how to talk to someone when he felt like his heart would pound through his chest every time he looked at her. The King would just look at a woman and she would swoon in his arms, but Nicole…she wasn't like that.

Music from the café caught his attention. Pushing all moping thoughts to the back of his mind, his ears swivelled forward. Apparently Andy had been left to do the clearing up and was singing at the top of his voice.

Crossing the tiled floor of the sterile kitchen, Presley pushed through the gap left between the door and it's frame. The sight he beheld made his eyes goggle and he dropped on his haunches, laughing.

Andy was whirling around the room, but it was his dance partner that Presley found particularly ridiculous: tall and thin, with a stick for a body and a mop for a head, Andy was serenading it and looking thoroughly sincere with every word.

"And I will always love you…" The song trailed off and was immediately followed by something that was very different.

Swinging the mop around, the young dancer moved in time to the latino beat, leaving wet streaks all over the floor as he bellowed along in time with the song, his hips gyrating wildly.

"Talk to me…tell me your name…"

Presley shook his head mournfully. Ricky Martin. What was the world coming to when his nice crazy human started to sing 'La Vida Loca'?

"Up side, in side out, she's livin' la vida loca!" Andy whirled around, then froze as he found Presley staring at him.

The brunette blinked down at the large calico cat. If he could trust his sleepy eyes, the tom was smirking at him, a smug look on his face that just screamed 'Now, who looks like a twit?'

Unsure why he should be embarrassed, Andy dipped the mop handle towards the cat as a microphone and grinned. "Wanna sing along, kitt?"

Tossing his head in a gesture of indignation, Presley got to his paws and stalked towards the Jukebox on the other side of the room and scrambled up to sit on top of it, his tail curling around his feet.

"Whatever…" Andy grinned and spun back around, the mop skidding on the wet floor. He started to sing again. Presley peered down over the edge of the box, wondering how long he would be forced to listen to the nightmarish music. "Wanna pick a song?"

Presley grinned and swatted at the keypad in a gesture of assent. The Jukebox had to be one his favourite human toys in the whole house. It was closely followed by the TV, though, and his Elvis videos that his owners seemed to think _they_ owned.

Sliding across the slippery floor in his trainers, Andy used the music system to brake and dug a fifty pence piece out of his pocket, slotting it into the machine. The tom leaned forward and swiftly bapped three numbers in.

Immediately, the voice of 'The King' filled the café.

"Jailhouse Rock?" Crooking an eyebrow at the swaying cat, the tall human shook his head with a grin. "You, Bertie, are the strangest little bugger of a feline that I have ever met in my life."

Behind half-closed eyes, Presley smirked. If he could have spoken to the young man, he knew he would have told him that the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Fawn stirred slightly, lifting her head from its resting-place on Khan's hip. Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she frowned. Neither of the two felines she slept with seemed to have noticed. Khan was fast asleep, his head pillowed on Nicole's back.

The healer cocked her head.

She could hear something crying.

Carefully getting to her feet, she stepped cautiously around the red and gold cats, making her way down the steps to the lower level of the bus. The low cry got louder the moment her feet touched the floor of the bottom deck.

"Is-is anyone there?" She asked, as loudly as she dared. A whistle of wind whirled through the bus, ruffling her thick fur. Crossing her arms over her chest, she rubbed her upper arms and shivered. "Hello?"

A shadow passing the window caught her attention and she gasped. Had she been able to, she knew she would have screamed in shock and fear. But, as it was, she was frozen and could do nothing but stare at the massive silhouette passing the windows further up the bus.

Edging into the hidden enclave beside the stairs, she cringed back into the shadows, as the cry turned into a deep lowing sound. The huge, horned head lifted towards the night sky and the lips parted in a rumbling bellow.

"Oh Rumpus…" She whispered, pushing herself hard back against the wall as the shadowy head turned in her direction. Two, large, bright red eyes glowed through the dirty glass and a shrill shriek of terror escaped her before everything went black.

Something was shaking her. Hard.

Both her hands snapped up, smashing defensively against the face of her attacker. A yell of pain made her eyes snap open, to see Khan kneeling over her, his blood streaking his cheeks. His hands were locked around her upper arms, his face a mask of concern.

"Kh-Khan?"

"What happened, Fawn? What were you doing down here?" Nicole was by her side too and gathered the leopard-patterned queen in her arms. "Did you fall down the stairs or something? We heard you scream…"

Fawn's eyes flicked to the window, but all she could see was the buttery glow of the small light out on the street. "I…I heard someone crying…" She tried to sit up, but her head was throbbing agonisingly. "I know I heard someone crying…"

"There's no one here, Fawn." Khan touched her arm gently. He was clearly very worried, uncaring of the slashes across his cheeks. "I would have sensed if someone in the tribe was in pain…"

She shook her head. "Not a cat…" She whispered. Tears of fear leaked from her eyes and Nicole held her closer. "Rumpus…it was horrible…" She stared hopefully at the mystic. "It might have been a bad dream, maybe…"

"Do you remember coming down here?" Nicole asked her gently, helping her to her feet. "Maybe you were sleep-walking…"

The healer nodded slowly. "Maybe I did…" She let the pair support her and help her back up the narrow flight of stairs. "Have I mentioned how much I hate crazy dreams that make me sound like I've be sniffing the catnip…?"

"I can understand that. We don't think you are crazy, Fawn." Khan soothingly said, helping her back into the nest of blankets and pillows they shared, as the only mateless felines in the group aside from Topper and Presley.

Curling between the red queen and gold tom, Fawn nodded sleepily, felt Khan's fingers touch the back of her neck lightly. Immediately, her head sagged limply against the pillows and soft snores escaped her.

"She gonna be okay?" Nicole stroked the queen's red headfur.

"She'll be fine." Khan replied, lying easily. So he wasn't the only one who was sensing something strange in the yard. Any invader, be they human or cat or any other species would register on his protection spells. That meant whatever had scared her was something that he could not have prepared for.

Something strange was happening in this yard.

Perhaps, he mused, he would have to learn more about the land, before he could truly understand what seemed to be haunting it. He curled behind Fawn and sighed thoughtfully. How he was going to do that, he just didn't know.

* * *

Chronicler's Note:

Well, here we are. The Topper Chronicles. Sounds pretty neat, huh? This is Topper, by the way, in case you hadn't figured out who was writing this. Just thought I'd update you on everything that's been going on here.

Um…we have two buses, a snazzy pink Cadillac, a load of boxes, some trees and a big garage thing. Oh! And I have a tree house! How cool is that! It's a lot better than the old yard was, even if its not as big. And its not like we need the space. There's only a few of us.

Mattie and Star have been getting down and dirty. She's told us we're going to have our first tribe kitten in a few months. I still think Vic and Chee could have beaten 'em if they'd wanted. I tell ya, those two are as bad as bunnies!

Khan's spent days moping over Stareye. I mean, we were left to drag massive great big crates all over the yard and he was sitting and staring into space and we weren't allowed to disturb him cos – and I quote Nicci – "He's our Mister Magica! You want him to give you the electric zap treatment?". I woulda disturbed him, just to blame Nic and watch her face when she got sparked on the arse.

Anyway, he's got the yard all protected and stuff, but we don't have our Sentinel yet cos Seb's decided to stick around the other yard for some reason or other. Sometimes, I really just don't get that guy. I've known him for years and he still confuses the tail off me sometimes.

We've got Vic and Starcatcher to keep the yard safe for now, though. And me, of course. Plus, we've just got my new best bud: Presley. When he's not doing his Khan-speak, he's a cool guy. Lived in a house all his life, lucky sod.

As for the ladies…

Cheetara is completely hyper. I don't know what Vic does to her, but whenever anyone risks going into their level of the bus, they're pounced, before she runs away and looks very embarrassed. I get the feeling her 'dearly beloved' mate keeps setting her up.

As for Nic, my dear old bud, she seems to be a bit antsy. I s'pose she hasn't had any action for a while, unless she's got passed the whole "Arrrrrrrrgh! A Tugger-like" Noooooooooo!" thing with Presley. Poor git has the biggest crush on her and she can't even tell.

I would offer to keep her company, but Pres…I think he'd be a bit p-o'd if I decided to keep his object of lust cozy. And I can't seem to think of her that way anyhow. I keep on thinking leopard spots and not in a Tugger or Jennyanydots way! (Don't even go there!)

Anyway, that's pretty much it. We've got a big party with the old crew next month, so I'll let y'all know what happens there and if anything interesting happens between then and now.

Signing out, Topper.

P.S. That's me – the Chronicler.


	3. Lil Bit of Rock'N'Roll

LI'L BIT OF ROCK 'N ROLL  
By Rio

Storyline by Rio And Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter Three - August

"So, what's the deal here?"

"The deal?"

"Yeah. Where are we goin'? What we doin'?"

"We're going to a gathering with the old tribe. Khan wants to see Stareye and Munkustrap did invite us, after all." Topper grinned. "It would be rude of us to tell the elder leader of the Jellicles to leave us be cos we don't wanna go."

Presley looked bewildered. "Old tribe?"

"You mean you don't know?"

"Well, hon, I think that was obvious." In a voice dripping with sarcasm, Presley rolled his eyes at Fawn. "I'm still gettin' used to the idea of havin' neighbours and now, you're tellin' me there's another tribe like this one that you know. Why aren't ya livin' with them?"

The grey tom chuckled. "It was getting a bit overcrowded." He said. "There's hundreds of them over there and we...well, we wanted to have a bit of space."

"So who are Stareye and Munku-Mun-Monkey-person?"

Nicole did her best to look shocked. "You don't know who Stareye is?" She gasped, a wide grin breaking on her face. "Maybe we should get Khan to come over here and tell you the full and wonderful story, huh?"

"NO!" Both Fawn and Topper practically shouted.

"Can I say huh?"

Topper leaned towards Presley and spoke in a stage whisper. "Stareye is Khan's soulmate, but she's still a kitten. You ask him about her and you get a lecture about prophetic dreams and how cute a black queen with one white patch is."

"And Monkey?"

"You know, Munkustrap would be a bit miffed if he knew we'd let you call him Monkey." Fawn drawled. The little group was perched on the Cadillac in house-cat form, waiting for the rest of their little tribe. "He's the older and more serious version of Victor."

"Another Stripey one?"

"Got it in one." Nicole grinned. "He might be getting on a bit, but he's still got the looks." She fanned herself. "Oh my," She breathed, feigning a swoon as Victor emerged from the yard with Cheetera. "A Silver tabby!"

Presley rolled his eyes again, sliding down off the car. "These guys seem to be tryin' to put me off, Vic." He said. "Care to tell me a bit about this weird tribe we're goin' to visit? Are they as crazy as our lot?"

"You mean you didn't tell him we left cos they got too insane for us?" Victor called to the triad on the car. They grinned widely. "Seriously, though, Pres, they're a good bunch. They took us in after our home was destroyed. One of our tribe is still there. Plus, it's gonna be one heck of a big party...with lots of pretty queens."

Presley's eyes lit up. "Foxy laydees?"

"Foxy laydees." Victor agreed with a chuckle.

"You haven't gone and got him started again, have you?" Starcatcher groaned. "Geez, Vic, we wanted to retain some semblance of normalcy when we show our tribe off...we didn't want the queens to be terrorized by a Cori-lookalike."

Presley grinned at the huge black. "You're just jealous, big guy." He drawled, shaking his tail mischievously. "After all, I can get the babes droppin' at my paws..."

"Not looking like that, you can't." Nicole corrected. "They're all going to be scared of you. You look like the quietest and most serious mystic in their tribe, so seeing you chasing the queens would be like Tugger becoming a high priest of Bast."

Presley cocked his head. "Y'all always mention this Tugger...who is he anyway? Will I see him at this other tribe? Will I meet him?"

Victor was the first to start laughing. The rest of their small group rapidly followed suite. "Oh Rumpus..." He managed to gasp. "I forgot about that...Tugger will be there...with Nuada and Maahes as well..."

"Sh-should we warn them?" Cheetera hiccuped between giggles.

"Nah - it'll be way too funny..." Topper was grinning broadly.

Presley suspiciously raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not likin' the sound of this?"

Starcatcher cheerfully punched him on the shoulder. "Because, Pres," He replied. "You're starting to get to know us."

As Khan joined them, they started towards the street, ignoring Presley's pleas to know what was going on and why everyone was laughing.

* * *

"Seb!"

Towering over the rest of the felines who were swarming around the entrance through the Vicarage pipe, the black and white tom cut a swathe through the crowds to reach Victor's side, clapping his Leader on the shoulder. "Welcome back, Vic." He nodded to the rest of the tribe. "And the rest of you."

"Khan!" A strikingly tall black Princess shrieked in delight, ploughing past them and almost knocking Sebastian off his feet. Throwing her arms around the creamy mystic, happy tears ran down her cheeks.

His serious countenance broke into a dazzling smile and he swung the pretty, young queen up in his arms. His forehead brushing hers, he whispered. "It is good to see you again, beloved."

Arm-in-arm, they bowed politely to Victor, then moved off to join Stareye's mother, Sundancer, where she sat with her white kitten, Snowdancer, and her latest charge, a calico queen by the name of Kvitter.

Starcatcher had dragged Mattie off to be checked over by Jellylorum. He trusted Fawn's abilities, but he was determined to have a second opinion. His mate had protested and had immediately found herself slung over a broad, black shoulder and carried to the nursery.

Topper, Nicole, Fawn and Presley had disappeared to find somewhere to sit. Their main reason was that Presley looked like he was about to faint with joy, his eyes almost too big for his head as he took in all the queens around them.

Despite Nicole's vehement protests that it wouldn't make much difference, Topper had thought it would be better to get the dark calico tom sitting down before he fell over and made him look more stupid than was necessary.

"How has the training been going?" Walking alongside the black and white, Victor glanced up at Sebastian's face. If anything, his brooding expression had become even broodier. "Earth to Seb, earth to Seb." He waved a hand in front of Sebastian's face. "You in, big brother?"

Sebastian shook his head slightly. "Uh...what was that?"

"Just wondering how the training was going, Seb." Victor forced a smile. "You seem a bit out of it. One too many smacks on the head by Quaxo?"

"Not at all, Vic." The silver tabby and his mate sat down at the car, but Sebastian remained standing. "It's hard work, but I believe I'm getting better." He almost let a small smile creep onto his lips. "I don't dance as much."

"Is that all it is? You seem...distracted..."

"Hmm?"

"See what I mean. Is something worrying you, Seb?"

The black and white shook his head. "Not worrying me." He replied pensively, glancing towards Demeter. "Giving me something to think about." There was a long pause and he folded his hands behind his back. "Actually," He laughed slightly, but without humour. "Quite a lot to think about."

"Do you want to..."

"Talk about it? No, but thank you, Vic." The Sentinel smiled sadly. "It's something I have to work through on my own."

"But you will sit with us for the festival?"

Stepping back, Sebastian shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be very good company at the moment." He turned to walk away. "Perhaps when I've puzzled through this more, I'll join you, but for now, will you excuse me?"

"Of course." Victor masked his concern. If Sebastian didn't want to talk about it, he did not want to force him to disclose anything. Sliding his arm around Cheetera, he watched with a frown as his Sentinel made his way back to the sidelines, where he half-sat against one of the huge pipes.

"Poor Seb." His mate murmured softly, one hand rubbing his thigh.

"Yeah..." He frowned a little more. Normally, nothing bothered Sebastian, nothing would make him go and hide away in the darkest corners of the yard. He watched the black and white tom's eyes scan the crowded yard. Someone or something had to be getting to him.

Pulling his attention away, he let his eyes wander the yard. Familiar faces were everywhere, smiling and laughing. It had been almost two full months since he had visited the tribe and, even now, he could see the changes in the youngest tribe members.

Particularly in a small black, white and gold kitten who was bouncing on a huge black tom's shoulders. Last time he had seen her, she was still barely more than a newborn, mewling and wailing for milk.

Now, she was shrieking happily, gripping Shadowdancer's ears with her small fists.

Cheetera waved to them both and the kitten shrieked even more loudly. Her little hands smacked down on Shadowdancer's head, the front of his thick, black mane flattened down over his eyes.

"Wic! Wic! Wic!" The kitten's chirping voice reached them, as Shadowdancer changed direction and - as incredulous as it looked - pranced over in the direction of the silver tabby and his leopard-spotted mate.

Unable to hide a grin, Victor lifted his eyes to look up at Shadowdancer. The black tom had a wide smile on his face and he didn't seem at all bothered by the small kitten squirming on his shoulders. "Hello Vic."

"What can we do for you, Shadowdancer?" Victor asked.

* * *

"You still breathing in there?" Topper poked Presley in the ribs.

"Huh...?"

Nicole pointed in the direction that Presley was staring. Bombalurina was ascending the tyre with Munkustrap. "I think the boy's gone and got himself an eyeful of Bombie." She remarked with a grin.

"Not a good place to start, for an amateur is it?" Fawn laughed softly.

"Who the...? What the...?"

"Who the is Bombalurina, mate of Munkustrap, the leader of the tribe." Topper said clinically, as if reading from information files. "What the is her absolutely fine patootie that you have no chance of getting near."

Nicole leaned over and carefully pushed Presley's slack jaw shut. "Don't make it so obvious that you're staring, lover boy." She murmured. "You'll only make it worse for yourself." But it was too late and Bombalurina glanced in their direction.

Her eyes fell on Presley instantly and she arched her body provocatively and winked at him with a seductive pout. His jaw sagged again and the red queen's lips pulled back in a wide, mischievous grin that lit up her face.

His three companions shouted with laughter, his mouth opening and shutting with no sound coming out. For the first time, Presley was speechless.

Unfortunately for his companions, however, it didn't last very long. Only Topper's hand on his tail prevented him from racing across the yard to try out his sex-God prowess on the stunning red queen.

"She needs some lovin', man!"

"You'd get a smack in the mouth, man!" Nicole drawled, gesturing to the large silver tabby, who had drawn the red queen into a kiss. Presley's ears flickered back, then went completely flat as the gold queen between the tabby's knees received an equally passionate kiss.

Clearing his throat, the calico tom sat back down. "He...uh...he's keepin' busy." He managed to comment. "I...uh...I think I'll leave him to it."

Any tom of Presley's stature would probably have said the same. A relatively short tom, he wasn't very much taller than little Mattie, but his confidence often gave a deceptive air that he was larger than he truly was.

To him, Munkustrap was ominously large: broad-shouldered, muscled and clearly had been through a good few fights. Presley had never even met anyone who exuded the power that this imposing silver tabby did.

However, his gaping at the large tom was cut short when a new family erupted out of their lair, into the yard. A sleek Burmese led the way, followed by another young queen. Presley assumed those who followed were their kittens.

Then his eyes fell on the final cat to emerge: a large, maned tom cat with a wild quiff of fur and a cocky smirk that was worthy of only one person.

"Check it out, dad! The new tribe are back!" One of the two smaller males yelled.

"Think they've got any princesses yet?" The other one seemed to share his sentiments, waving over at Nicole and Fawn, where they sat with Presley and Topper.

"Tugger, will you please make them behave for at least some of tonight." The red and silver queen with a mane was standing with her hands on her hips, trying her best to look annoyed and failing miserably.

The black tom that strutted out behind her smirked. "I'll have my paws full makin' you behave tonight, Silvie." He purred, pulling the silver queen to him and nuzzling her neck. She swatted at him and giggled, but made no attempt to escape.

Any thoughts of any queens in the yard sped from Presley's mind and he was overcome with a sense of awe such as he had never felt before. "Oh Rumpus..." He breathed, leaning forward for a better look at the quiffed, maned tom. "It's him..."

Topper was chuckling and the two queens were quick to start. The expression on Presley's face was comical, his eyes wide, jaw hanging open. He looked like he was ready to throw himself at this wonder tom's paws.

"So...uh..." Nicole nudged him. "I guess you've seen Rum Tum Tugger?"

"Wow." Was all the calico managed to sputter out, which only succeeding in reducing the rest of the little quartet to hysterics. Again.

* * *

"He's rather large for his age, is he not?" Khan was ruffling his future-brother-in-law's mane, the white kitten chuckling loudly and gnawing his knuckles.

Sundancer smiled broadly. "Well, look at what he has for a father." She shifted Snowdancer on her lap, his sticky little hands clapping together happily. "You're a big kitten, aren't you, my little snowball?"

"Mama!" The kitten announced happily hopping to his feet and jumping forward to plant a wet kiss on her nose. Overbalancing, he managed to fall and landed squarely in Kvitter's lap, where he lay, giggling.

"You silly." Kvitter smiled fondly, bending to nudge her nose against his. "All fallen down...now, I have to..." Her hand hovered dangerously over his belly. His blue eyes widened and he tried to wriggle away. "Tickle you!"

Snowdancer squealed and wriggled furiously. "Noooooooooooooooooo! Mama! Hep! Hep!"

"Don't drag me into this." Sunny said laughingly. She glanced at her elder child and the Himalayan tom beside her. Honestly, I can't take these two anywhere without them doing something to embarrass me."

"And if you think they're bad," Stareye confided. "Daddy is worse."

Khan couldn't help smiling. "Sounds like a wonderful family to have." He said, running a hand down Stareye's smooth back. His eyes darkened slightly, recalling how different his own family was to that of his soulmate's.

"I s'pose they're okay when you..." Stareye started to say, yelling in indignation as her laughing brother threw himself into her arms and smacked a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek that left her fur dripping. "Snowie! Yuck!"

"Kisskiss!" He poked her cheek as explanation, only succeeding in smearing saliva all over her face. "Big love kisskiss."

"Yeah, yeah..." Trying to fend off another attack of the 'big love kisskiss', Stareye steered Snowdancer towards her mate with a naughty grin. "Khan needs a nice, big love kisskiss, Snowie. Go on..."

Khan yelped and held up a hand. There was a faint glow from the bright blue gem on his new collar. Snowdancer froze from the legs down. He frowned down at his feet, looking incredibly bemused.

"Feet stuck." He decided, leaning forward, but unable to fall. "No walkie..."

"Khan," Sundancer said in a mock-chastising voice. "If you aren't going to play nice, I'm afraid Star, Kvitter and I will have to hold you down, so Snowie can give you his special, great, big big love kisskiss."

"But my fur..." In a half-whine, half-whimper, he swung to the nearest person who was not a family member. "Domi! Tell them not to let Snowie drool on me!"

Barely three paces from them, Domino stiffened at his voice. She had been walking passed, his call catching her unawares. "Kh-Khan..." Her ears flattened, her hands curling in fists by her sides. "Wh-what is it?"

But it was too late.

Snowdancer had already dived forward and was splatting kisses all over Khan's face. The three queens were laughing, ignoring the older tom's howls for aid or release or anything that would save his mane.

"You okay, Domi?" Sundancer slid down from her place to the black and white queen. Domino was visibly trembling.

"I...he just looks..." She shook her head uneasily. "He looks so like him..." She looked up at Khan, who was flat on his back and yelling, with Snowdancer sitting on his belly, bouncing up and down and shouting merrily. Sundancer wrapped an arm around the young queen's shoulders. "H-have you seen Phoenix?" She added, her eyes drifting. "Sh-she was meant to be with Sh-Shadowdancer."

"She wanted to go and talk to him." Both queens turned at Shadowdancer's deep, rumbling voice. He was pointing off in the direction of a black and white tom, leaning against the wall. Phoenix was standing in front of him, leaning back to look up at him. He bent and lifted her up in his arms, cocking his head at her.

Domino's face fell. "Phee..." She whispered, her mouth dry. Breaking away from Sunny, she started across the yard. Her tail was thrashing wildly.

Sundancer looked from the black and white queen, to her mate. "What did you let Phee do that for?" She asked him, as she returned to their seating place. He looked up at her, still standing and watching Domino. "Don't you look at me like that, Mister."

"Can I help it if an impetuous, curious little kitten wants to know why a big tom is all on his own in the corner of the yard, when he could be talking to her?"

Sundancer crossed her arms in a mockery of maternal annoyance. "Shadowdancer…"

"He was on his own. She was on her own. They're both black and white." He gave his mate a half-smile. "I was going for colour-coordination." Sundancer stared at him for a long moment, then smiled slightly. "Think I picked a good set?"

"Using Phee to put them together...you're sneakier than I realised, beloved." She remarked heavily, her eyes dancing.

Khan had struggled out from beneath Snowie. "She doesn't trust any tom in the yard and he rarely talks to anyone...what makes you think she won't just snatch her kitten and run away to her home and that he would even comment on it?"

"Just watch." Shadowdancer smiled confidently. "Just watch."

* * *

"Vic, something weird's going on."

"Just a sec..."

Cheetera gently pinched his arm. "No, Vic." She whispered. "I don't think you'll be able to see it in a second. Now!"

Reluctantly turning away from Munkustrap, he started to speak, following the direction in which his mate's finger was pointing. All words seemed to dry up, his mouth falling open in clear astonishment.

Sebastian had stepped out of the shadows and was standing, talking to a pretty black and white queen with a kitten in her arms. Victor recognised her as one of Macavity's escapees: a queen called Domino.

Cheetera's fingers contracted around his. Both of them could see that Sebastian was all but smiling down at the queen and Princess in her arms.

Victor did not know what to be more surprised at. He had once attempted to talk to Domino, but she had practically run to hide behind Shadowdancer's mate. To see her shyly offering to touch Sebastian's hand was development enough.

But to see Sebastian talking freely, reaching out to touch her hand, to stroke her daughter's mane was something he had never even imagined seeing. Sebastian could be the most loyal of toms, but you would never know until he revealed it in an action that saved you.

Seldom had he spoken to anyone outside their small and familiar circle. Seldom had he touched anyone with careful affection as he was touching the timid young queen and her daughter now. Seldom had a small smile even threatened to creep onto his face.

Domino and Sebastian both looked to the kitten and - to their observers' surprise - laughed slightly. Domino said something, then turned and started to walk away. Pausing, she looked back with an enigmatic smile and said something else.

Then she was gone.

Victor couldn't help chuckling. Sebastian was still standing motionless, staring after her, a somewhat dazed look on his face. He did not seem to notice when Shadowdancer approached him and started to talk to him conversationally.

"You don't think...?" Victor turned to his mate, a hopeful expression on his face.

Cheetera nibbled her lip anxiously. "I would love to see him happy." She murmured. Victor had finally revealed to her the cause of Sebastian's quiet demeanour and the reason he rarely let himself get close to anyone. "Do you think he would let himself open up to anyone? It took him such a long time to talk to you..."

"I don't know, Chee. It might be possible..." He murmured softly, watching Shadowdancer take Sebastian aside. Apparently, they were deep in conversation and the black tom was gesturing in the direction that Domino had departed with her kitten. "I had never seen her talking to anyone either..."

"Not by choice anyway." Cheetera half-smiled. "I think a certain former-Enforcer had a hand in making her talk to him. He did say that he and Phee had work to do..."

"A former-Enforcer-cum-matchmaker..." Victor shook his head with a feigned shudder. "As long as Starcatcher doesn't decide to become a Chronicler, I think our yard is safe from this pure madness."

"Didn't I tell you?" A voice commented from their other side. Starcatcher stood there, with the disgruntled-looking Mattie cradled in his arms like a baby. "Topper is bored and wants to spend more time licking his butt. I take over chronicling this week."

Victor groaned and hid his face in Cheetera's neck. "I asked for that."

"You certainly did, Victor." Munkustrap chuckled deeply. Turning his attention to the former Enforcer and his mate, the elder tabby smiled. "I hope you are both well." Mattie positively beamed at the Leader, in spite of her precarious position. "And I assume that was a yes

"Not both, Leader." Starcatcher said, his eyes dancing. "All three of us are well." His dark hand spread on his mate's belly. "The first of many." Mattie leaned into his embrace, purring softly as he kissed her tenderly.

"Doesn't that just make you wanna go and have a whole fleet of kittens?" Cheetera drawled, leaning against Victor's shoulder. Munkustrap, Mattie, Starcatcher and anyone else close enough to see Victor's face burst out laughing at his expression. "Don't worry, love." The gold-patterned queen smiled. "It was an observation, not a suggestion."

Victor, though, had dropped back in a parody of a dead faint, his legs straight up in the air, his tongue lolling from between his lips.

* * *

Watching the on-going dancing, Sundancer started when a slender hand touched her foot. Looking down, she saw Domino standing before her, her sleeping daughter wrapped in blankets in her arms.

"Domi? I thought you were going to bed…?"

"I…I couldn't sleep." She replied sheepishly, her ears flicking back slightly. Her eyes swept around the yard and she frowned. There was no mistaking the disappointment that flared in her dark amber eyes.

Sundancer resisted the urge to smile and gestured for the black and white to join their little group. "Looking for someone?"

"M-me? No! What makes you th-think that?" If she had been a human, Domino's face would have been scarlet. Ducking her head shyly, she suddenly seemed to find her toes fascinating. "C-can I sit with all of you? Th-that is…if you h-have room?"

"Of course!" Shadowdancer scooted along the former bookshelf that the little family was sitting on. An indignant yell from Khan sounded, as he plummeted over the edge of the shelves. It was echoed by a shrill squeal from Stareye, who just happened to be in his arms at the time. "Uh…whoops?"

Edging up, Domino sank down beside Sundancer. She nodded a greeting to Kvitter, who sat on the queen's other side. Phoenix stirred briefly and Snowdancer scrambled up in his mother's arms to peer into the blanket-bedecked bundle.

"Phee?" He reached down and poked the kitten.

"Snowie! Behave!"

Domino laughed faintly, shifting the red-gold, black and white kitten against her. "He's just being f-friendly, Sunny." She said. Tucking the blankets around Phoenix's round face, she smiled. "Is Phee your friend, Snowie?"

"Phee small." The white tom decided. "Small…me give biglovekisskiss?"

Sundancer couldn't help smiling. "Maybe when she wakes up, Snowie." Her eyes danced. "After all, you could give Khan another big love kisskiss. We all know how much he likes them."

"I'm going to have to see someone about this treatment." Khan grumbled, trying to hide a smile. He climbed back onto the shelf and hauled Stareye up with him. "So far, I've been slobbered on, poked, tickled, pounced and thrown off a shelf…I thought you were meant to like me!"

Snowdancer cheerfully launched himself in Khan's direction. "Me like!" He announced happily, then proceeded to cover his future brother-in-law's face with even more wet, noisy kisses.

"Ack…noooo!" Squirming under the exuberant white kitten, Khan whimpered. "This isn't… ow…fa…Snowie! Not the…eeeeeeeeh! My…eeeew…my mane! Stareye! Get him…get him off!"

By now, any other members of the esteemed mystic's tribe who could see him, were doubled over and laughing. Presley managed to tear his eyes away from the youngest queens to point and laugh.

He was quickly smacked on the nose by Nicole, but didn't look upset about it at all.

Domino was leaning against Sundancer's shoulder, a faint smile on her lips. "He isn't at all like his father, is he?" She whispered absently, her voice so faint that Sundancer wasn't even sure that she had spoken.

"Who is his father? Did you know him?" Kvitter inquired curiously. She had been leaning over Sundancer's lap to have another look at the kitten. She raised her eyes to the slightly older queen and was shocked by the expression of terror and pain on the black and white queen's face.

Despite the time that had passed, Domino's ears flattened, tears welling in her eyes. To Kvitter's astonishment, Shadowdancer rounded his mate and quickly pulled the black and white queen into a secure hug.

Sunny took Phoenix beside Snowdancer on her lap, eyes full of concern. Domino's arms were around Shadowdancer and she was shaking, her face hidden in his massive chest. It didn't take a genius to realize that she was crying.

Kvitter backed away from the little group, uncertain. "I-I'm sorry…what did I say? Did I say something wrong?"

Khan touched the queen on the back gently. "You could not know, Kvitter." He said quietly. "My father is a tom of bad repute. He did grievous harm to the Lady Domino for much of her life." He lowered his head and Stareye curled closer to him. "She has been free of his influence less than a year…"

"Seven months…" Domino's muffled voice spoke. She stretched out her arms, taking her daughter and hugging her close. "Kh-Khan…" She beckoned him and he moved to her side to be pulled into a tight, tearful hug. "Forgive me." She whispered. "I look at you and I…I see him so clearly…"

Closing his eyes at the memory, Khan held her close. "It is I who should be apologising, Lady Domino." He risked a look down at another of his illusive half-siblings. "Despite all, I am still my father's son, just as your daughter is his daughter."

Domino's gaze drifted down to Phoenix. "You…you don't think he would take her away from me?" Her fingers stroked through her daughter's soft mane. "I couldn't bear to lose my little one…"

"Distraction." Sundancer whispered to her mate. "Find something to cheer her up…"

"I'm sure he wouldn't." Khan said quietly, still embracing her gently. "He doesn't seem to get on very well with kittens." A tight, pained smile crossed his face. "As I'm sure you already know…"

Domino nibbled on the corner of one finger, staring absently down at her still-sleeping daughter. Sundancer slid into Khan's place behind the young queen, watching anxiously as Shadowdancer ran towards Victor, then the silver tabby sharply swung to his feet and raced towards a familiar tom's lair.

* * *

His toe-claws drumming on the mattress that made up the floor of his home, Sebastian stared at the sloped roof above him and laid his head back against the wall. What was he doing? He had asked himself the same question sine he had re-entered the box.

Sure, he had seen that little queen outside of the nursery a few weeks before. Yes, he had thought she needed someone to take care of her. Surely that wasn't whom Queen Demeter had been referring to. Surely the timid, terrified little black and white queen wasn't the person who needed him.

"Seb?"

"In here, Vic."

The flap that served as a door lifted open and the tabby's face poked in. "Hey...nice place..." Ducking under the door, the smaller tom entered, looking around. "I was looking for you when the festival started…what are you doing hiding away like this?"

"Stuff to think about."

"Stuff being about an ear shorter than me, black and white, with a little diamond of white fur over one eye and a daughter who is the cutest little fluffball in the world?" He hazarded a guess and Sebastian sighed, closing his eyes. "Aren't I the world's best guesser?"

"So you saw..."

Victor smiled slightly. He sat down next to the other tom. "What gave it away?" Sebastian looked at him emotionlessly, then looked away. "So what's worrying you about this little queen and princess? Is she mated?"

"You know she isn't." He paused and ran a hand through his mane. "You remember I said that Queen Demeter had told me something?" Victor nodded, ears twitching. "She told me that...that someone in the tribe needed me...not like need me to fetch food, but need, as in had to have me with them as a matter of life and death..."

"And you think it's this queen or her daughter?"

Sebastian stared at the ceiling again. "And I think it's this queen or her daughter." He agreed quietly, hands resting on his upraised knees. "I-I don't know what to do, Vic...I don't need to get close to anyone...it would only make things worse."

"Do you like them?"

The large black and white chuckled tightly. "How could I not like them?" He asked. "Phee is the first person in the tribe, in weeks, who has tried to start a conversation that wasn't about training or fighting techniques..."

"And Domi?"

"And Domino..." Sebastian's eyes closed briefly. "She's scared of me...she's scared of pretty much everyone...something hurt her bad..." He slitted his eyes open, watching Victor for a moment. "Do you remember when she arrived?"

Victor's brow wrinkled in though. "Didn't she escape from Macavity?" Sebastian nodded. "I guess that's enough to make anyone jumpy." The black and white sat silently. "What are you going to do, Seb?"

"I'm going to play with Phee tomorrow." He smiled slightly.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

Victor squeezed Sebastian's massive shoulder gently. "Take your time, big brother." He said reassuringly. "She looks like she could use a friend too." Sebastian's brown eyes met his. "I think Deme might be right, you know."

Abruptly, he was engulfed in a hug, huge black and white arms squeezing him until he squeaked in protest, running out of breath. "I-I'm scared of that, though, Vic." He said. "You know I've never had to deal with this before..."

Returning the hug, Victor slowly got to his feet. "You'll be fine, Seb. Trust me on that." He offered a hand, which Sebastian touched with a nod. "I have to go, though. Chee would never forgive me if I abandoned her for this festival." He paused, then added with a sly grin. "I think I saw Domino sitting outside, watching your door. She looked upset about something…maybe you could…I dunno…comfort her?"

"Go on." Sebastian smiled faintly at him. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

Victor flashed a broad grin at him, then ducked out of the small home that Sebastian had made for himself. "I'm sure you will, my friend." He said softly. He heard the tom inside shifting and glanced across the yard at the black and white queen, who was distantly watching the doorway. "I'm sure you will."

* * *

"You were too!"

"I fragging well was not!"

"Sorry to say it, Pres, but you so were."

"Stay out of this Fawn. I was not."

Nicole grinned smugly. "She agreed with me, Presley. You were ready to prostrate yourself at Tugger's feet and call him Elvis." Presley glowered at her, folding his arms in annoyance. "Are you quitting on me already? No more arguing?" Leaning closer to him, she nudged him sharply with her hip. "And I thought you had stamina, boy."

"Look here, lil laydee..." Recovering from the lapse in attitude, Presley stepped up to her, until they were barely a fur's breadth from touching. "I have more stamina than you can even imagine and I'd happily show y'all..."

"All mouth, no action." Nicole sneered, trying to ignore the warmth radiating from his body so close to hers.

"Oh yeah?" He took a tiny fraction of a step forward, as if challenging her to back away.

Accepting his challenge and matching the step forward, she stared him in the eyes and nodded coolly. "Yeah."

"Ladies! Please!" Topper pushed between the two, holding up his hands. "It's been a nice party...don't go spoiling it with a nasty little fight." Both started to protest and he waved his hands in a gesture for silence. "Yes, Pres, I know you probably have stamina, but I don't need to know about that. And Nic, he may not have as much stamina as some of the toms you've met, but please don't wind him up or it'll be all I hear about for days."

"But he..."

"But she..."

"Ah, ah, ah!" He waved his hands again. "I don't want to hear about this! We're going to be civilized and not pull each others fur, all right?"

"Girlie fights already?" With Stareye at his side, Khan emerged through the pipe. He glanced at his soulmate, who was chuckling. "You see the mentally-unstable persons I have to deal with, beloved. It is inexcusable."

Presley glowered at the mystic. "It is a source of egregious vexation when you utilise phraseology of such a supercilious derivation to tranquilize my esteemed confreres into a condition of reticence." He said, tilting his chin up with an air of dismissal. The corners of his mouth, however, were fighting a losing battle with a wide, cheeky grin. "Come, Topper." He said snootily. "Accompany me, my partisan."

"Well, I understood the 'come, Topper' bit." Topper said, shaking his head. "Pres, man, you have to stop doing that." Draping his arm around the calico's shoulders, his words drifted back as they wandered further down the street to find some rats. "You make my brain hurt more than usual."

Leaning back to talk to Nicole, Fawn muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "What the heck did he just say?"

"You want my translation?" Fawn nodded. "He said Khan speaks posh to shut us up when we need it." The Himalayan looked sheepish, turning his attention back to Stareye. "Y'know, looks like my translating isn't as bad as I thought...hey, Vic. Had a good night?"

"Lemme guess." Victor remarked. "We had a chick fight and the boys went off to prove themselves by hunting down some rats." The red and leopard-spotted queen exchanged glances. "Ok...Presley was teased and went off somewhere?"

Nicole grinned. "I...might have been teasing him."

"Again?"

"Hey, it's easily done."

Victor sighed. "That may be true, Nic, but remember that he's been stuck on his own for a long time. Let him settle in before you wind him up more." She looked indignant, folding her arms. "You made him use the big words again, didn't you?"

"More than usual." Khan said, smiling slightly. He had his arm around Stareye, one hand cupping her face. "We really ought to move on, Leader. The night grows short and we must get back before the morning rush."

"Do-do you have to leave?" Stareye whispered, staring up at him hopefully.

"I am sorry, beloved." He touched his brow to hers. "I belong to the other tribe now and soon, you will come to be with us, but now..." He closed his eyes for a long moment. "I will come to see you, my heart."

"You better." She was weeping softly. "Or I'll have daddy come and find you. Hell drag you back here by your tail, if I ask him to."

"Please don't!"

A naughty expression crossed Stareye's dark face. "He might just do it for fun, though." She added, hugging him tightly. "Take care, my soul." She whispered, clinging to him until her father emerged from the pipe and drew her away. "I love you."

"And I you, beloved." Stepping away, unseen tears rolled down his creamy cheeks. He watched her return into the yard, then turned to Victor. "You…" His voice was shaking. "You have something you wish to attend to?"

Laying Cheetera's hand in Khan's, Victor nodded. The sleepy queen was given a soft kiss, despite her grumble at the loss of her mate's arm around her. "Take care of her. I need to see Sebastian before I go." He said. "I'll catch up with you, as soon as I can."

"Understood, Leader."

* * *

"Night, guys." Despite Mattie's protests about being carried, she was asleep in her massive mate's arms, as he crossed the yard. Awkwardly ascending the crates towards their little home, he half-smiled as she curled closer to him.

Pushing through the window, the hinge squeaked softly, and he hopped down from the ledge to the floor. Mattie stirred, grumbling slightly.

"Bed time, love." He whispered, kneeling on the shabby mattress to lay her down carefully. Her eyes flickered open as he drew the blanket up and over her body, one hand sliding under the thick woollen fabric to caress her slightly swollen belly. "You and junior sleep well."

She opened her eyes sleepily. "Only if ya kiss me, ya big lug." She mumbled, one hand reaching up to pull his head down to hers. They shared a brief, kiss, then she smiled tiredly up at him. "You were plannin' on goin' somewhere?"

"Apparently not." Letting her draw him under the blanket with her, he smiled as her head drooped onto his chest. Mewling snores escaped her and he wrapped his arms around her, one hand always finding its way to rest on her belly. "Night, Mattie."

Beneath her fur, he felt a nudge from the tiny life growing there and his smile grew a fraction wider.

"Night to you too." He added softly.

* * *

"Leave me alone!"

"How eloquent!" Khan's voice rang after Presley mincingly, reducing the rest of the group to hysterics again.

The calico swung around and pouted at the mystic. "Perhaps, when you relinquish this puerile endeavour of jocularity against my person, I could accuminate that your monopolizing of Stareye and your extreme heedfulness was little more than nauseating."

"Oh Rumpus..." Topper backed away. "Th-they're doing it again." He was sitting behind Nicole and Fawn on the upper level of the gate bus. Presley had been faking a temper tantrum and was stamping towards the stairs, when the latest bout of a language war had started.

"He says that Khan's fawning around Stareye was sickening." Nicole assumed the role of translator once again.

Khan rose to his feet too. It was clear he needed something to take his mind off his absent mate and this seemed the perfect solution. "Scurrilous comportment may achieve you some subordinate indemnification but, it is my expectation that you are simply solicitous of my beneficial felicity."

"Uh...?" Topper cocked a brow.

"Being rude might make him feel better, but he's just jealous."

The grey tom shook his head. "Why doesn't he just say nanny-nanny-boo-boo?" Both Khan and Presley were grinning at him. "So, go on, Pres! You gonna let him get away with insulting you like that?"

The calico searched for some contradiction to the mystic's words. "Express to me some elucidation why I would desire a rudimentary, youthful infant, when there are some many delectable mature queens available immediately."

"He says Khan's a dirty old man and it would be easier to find someone older as a mate."

Khan's blue eyes narrowed at the challenge. "As I comprehend it, a witless simpleton with the intellectual capacity of yourself would be unable to conceive the concept of truest love in its most pure and divine form."

"Whoa! I understood something they said! Khan, you're losing your touch...too many words with less than ten letters."

"For a simple minded ruffian, such as myself," Presley shook his imaginary mane, with a slight smirk. "I find astoundingly gratifying propitiation in the commiserative association of our unified syndicate. Adulation towards a uncompounded individual would be nefariously illiberal on my part, when there are so many others in need of my personality."

"Cocky bugger." Nicole muttered. "He says that love's too good for him because we all deserve his mighty presence." Presley's grin was wide, but Topper could see that it was a fraction more strained at Nicole's words.

"BERTIE!"

"Oh, great...the humans..." Shaking his head, the young calico sighed. "Looks like I'm going to have to go and get petted and spoiled rotten." High-fiving Topper, he nodded to each of the others and started down the stairs. "Oh, Khan, we must conclude this expression of affluential terminology some other day." He winked, then he was gone.

Apparently, he succeeded on mowing down the returning Victor on his way down the stairs, the tabby staggering onto the upper levels dazedly. "Uh...I'm assuming Pres was going home...where are Star and Matt?"

"They decided it was time to get some sleep…" Topper gave the Leader a lavicious grin. "Cheetera said to tell you she was waiting for you in your bus…we sent Star over to surprise her about ten minutes ago…"

"So that's what the screaming was about…" Victor chuckled. "I could hear someone yelling from about three streets away and I'm only assuming it wasn't Khan and Pres having a chick fight."

"Vic!" A blur of gold and leopard spots and the squashing of the leader on the floor of the bus announced the arrival of the aforementioned queen. "Where have you been! They played a trick on me again! I got a fright and you…" She pouted seductively. "You weren't there to protect me…"

"I…" Wheezing and straining to roll her off, Victor managed a sheepish grin. "Can I make…it up to you?"

Cheetera was on her feet in a blink and strutted towards the stairs. "Now." She said, her voice as smoky as Bombalurina's could be. The blur of a silver tabby had her in his arms and they could hear her squealing as he bounced down the stairs and ran across the yard.

"And on that note," Topper drawled, stretching upwards. "I think I'll bid you all a good night." He touched each outstretched hand, smothering a yawn. "See you in the morning, unless Vic and Chee make too much noise."

"I just did not need to hear that." Khan groaned and flopped onto his belly, trying not to smile as Nicole dropped back and used his rear as a pillow. Flicking his tail, he heard he mutter indignantly.

Beyond the red queen, he could see Fawn gazing down the stairs for a long moment before coming to join them, settling beside Nicole. She met his eyes briefly and he was convinced he could see the same emotions in her as he felt when absent from Stareye.

"Night, Khan." She muttered.

"Night, Fawn. Night Nic."

The red queen punched his hip with an aggravated grumble of "Shaddup!" Both her companions laughed, curling in closer to one another as they all slowly drifted between sleep and wakefulness.

* * *

Finishing the remnants of the bowl of cream left out for him by the humans, Presley sighed contentedly. This was definitely the best way to live, with parties to attend, queens to observe and fun - insane amounts of fun - to have.

However, he reflected, too much fun was making him sleepy.

Stumbling up the stairs, he tottered past the massive couch, not even glancing at the television in the corner. He could hear 'Hound Dog' playing, but just couldn't summon the energy to go and dance.

His pillow awaited.

Flopping down into the softness, he was asleep even before his head hit the pillow. And, dancing in his mind, was the dream of the day he would become an amazing tom who seemed to have merged from a combination of Elvis and Tugger.

* * *

Chronicler's Note:

Well, we went to the Festival, had a great time and had our brains suitably fried by Khan and Presley showing off how many dictionaries they ate for breakfast. I tell ya, if those two don't put a sock in it soon, I will!

The party was a good one. It was nice seeing the old mob, although there are just too many kittens for my liking. I keep thinking I'll squash one. "Just walkin' along, mindin' my own busine…whoa! Sorry! Where the heck did you come from?". And then we have the crying and the shouting and the "Mummy! He stood on me!"…ah, well…at least we got away this time without anyone being stood on or squished.

We also found Presley's weakness. All we have to do to shut the boy up is drop RTT in front of him. I tell ya, I've never laughed so much. He didn't even notice we were all laughing, until Nicci shoved a handful of mud in his open mouth. Poor guy. He didn't even have the nerve to shout at her.

It must be love. Le sigh. See - aren't I clever? I can do French! Anyway, just a short note. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. Night night!

Topper, ye Olde Chroniclere.


	4. It Don't Matter If You're Black or White

IT DON'T MATTER IF YOU'RE BLACK OR WHITE

By Rio

Storyline by Rio And Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter Four - September

"I'm too sexy for my fur...too sexy for my fur..."

Nicole opened one sleepy eye. "Do I even want to know?" She mumbled around the tip of Topper's tail that had flopped over her muzzle.

"Wha?" The sleepy Topper shifted his head to look at her. Blinking sleepy black eyes, he shook his head. "S'only Pres, Nic." He said, replacing his head where it had been resting on Fawn's flank. "Go back sleep."

Nicole frowned slightly She squinted around the yard, the late September sunlight dappling through the remaining leaves that were clinging to the bare trees above them. There was no one in sight.

Moving onto her stomach, she made certain she had full sight of all of the yard. That little flea bag was NOT about to sneak up on her again. She would be able to spot the midgety shrimp of a kitten a mile...

"Hello beautiful!" His face appeared, upside-down, in her line of vision. The red-gold queen shrieked and jerked upright, only for the back of her head to smack squarely into a rather vulnerable area of his anatomy, his feet placed on either side of her hips. "Oh Rumpus...I. Must. Be. Dying." He managed to squeak, his hands clasped to his groin before his eyes rolled up in his head.

His legs sagged out from beneath him and he plummeted like a rock onto Nicole's rear, slumping along her back. Both Fawn and Topper yelled in sleepy protest. Nicole continued to shriek and wriggle until she had thrown the tom off her back, leaving him curled on his side on the ground.

"What did you do to him?" Fawn demanded out of the corner of her mouth, resting her chin on her forearms. Topper was still using her as a pillow, making it rather difficult to move anywhere for the time being.

The red-gold queen shot a glare at the whimpering calico tom, who was still clutching his groin and whining. "It's not my fault he's got such short legs. Maybe this'll teach him not to sneak up on me when I'm just trying to take a nap."

"Not...a...chance...gorgeous..." He gasped, shakily sitting up. "Fawny, baby...can you make it stop hurtin'?" He shuffled towards her on his knees.

Fawn extended a hand lazily. "Just put this where it hurts." She yawned. Presley hid a watery grin and obeyed. The Healer's eyes popped wide open and she stared at the calico kneeling in front of her. "Presley..." She began, her mouth suddenly rather dry. "That's not quite what I meant and you know it..." But she didn't withdraw her hand. "Y'know, for such a little guy..."

"Don't need to be hearing this! Really don't!" Nicole clamped her paws over her ears and closed her eyes tightly.

Fawn released a burst of endorphins through Presley's system and immediately regretted it, as the calico tom scrambled to his feet and danced a demented variation of the cha-cha around the three half-asleep felines.

"Soooo...what we gonna do today? We gonna do anythin'? Somethin' cool? Somethin' beyond the realms of the snazzy?"

Topper lifted his head. "Pres, dude, we are going to sleep." He stated slowly.

"Sleep? Okay! Mind if I join ya?" Before any of them could refuse, he had shuffled himself between the two queens, his head resting in Nicole's lap. She stared down at him, as if he were a bug. He grinned brightly up at her. Pushing his head off her lap, she got to her feet and stalked away. "Y'know," Presley drawled, settling back against Topper's hip. "I think I'm startin' to wear the lil lady down..."

Topper and Fawn exchanged glances over his shoulder, both grinning. "Whatever you say, Pres." Topper mumbled, settling back into his sleeping position. How he had ended up as the best friend of the shortest and craziest tom in the tribe, he would never know.

Ignoring the two beside him as they dozed, Presley's half-closed eyes remained on Nicole, as she stretched out on her own, further across the grass. Half of him was screaming that he should go and join her, but the other half was torn between being too lazy or a fear of pushing his luck.

Why he was so interested in her, he could not say. She was older than him, taller than him - which wasn't really saying much, considering he didn't even reach Topper's shoulder in height - and she was probably more experienced that him. She would never want a midget calico like him in a million years.

She would want a tom like Tugger.

He wanted to be a tom like Tugger.

Presley sighed. There was some balance there. He wasn't quite certain what it was, but there was some obscene balance. Throwing Topper's tail out of his face, he yawned and settled down to nap the afternoon away.

* * *

"Warlock." 

Khan turned at Victor's voice, smiling a fraction at the title. "My name is Khan, Leader. You need not call me that." He said quietly.

"When you start calling me Vic instead of Leader, I start calling you Khan, deal?" The tabby grinned infectiously, eyeing the runes the Himalayan tom had scratched into the slate that he held in his paws. "What are those?"

The gold-cream tom looked down vaguely. "Oh, nothing of import..." The slate rapidly disappeared into his satchel and the tom shifted on his toes on the edge of the crate. "What causes you to seek me, Le...Victor."

Victor shrugged. "You were looking a bit lonely and mopey. I thought I'd come and check that you were okay." Khan nodded in acknowledgement, then turned to survey the alleyway beyond the fences. "Well?"

"Well what, Victor?"

"Are you okay?"

The mystic smiled slightly. "It is nothing I can not deal with."

"So there is something wrong?"

"As I said, it is nothing I can not deal with, Victor." There was a brief silence, then Khan turned to the tabby. "And your mate...she is well?" The Leader was caught off-guard by the question, turning confused eyes to the warlock. "Perhaps," Blue eyes shone with laughter. "You should centre your anxieties closer to home."

"What are you talking about?"

Khan's enigmatic smile widened a fraction. "Perhaps you will come with me, Leader." The gold-cream tom suggested gently. "There is no threat in what I must show to you, Victor. Have no fear."

"All right then..."

"Your mate is in the bus, correct?"

"Last time I looked, she was."

"Very well." The mystic dropped down from the crates piled parallel to the ponderous Victoria bus. Beyond the vehicle, the two toms could see the colourful heap of fur comprised of Topper, Fawn, Mattie and Presley.

Nicole was lying a short distance away, her violet scarf visible vividly against her red fur and the green grass. She was staring at the heap of sleeping felines, glaring noticeably at the calico tom in the centre of the pile.

"She can not see." Khan remarked, noticing Victor gazing at them.

"Huh?"

Nodding in the direction of the red-gold queen, Khan repeated. "She can not see."

"Presley?" Victor hazarded.

"That is correct." Khan replied.

"All right. You just confused me again."

Khan chuckled. "She can not see passed the mask Presley has chosen." He explained, as they climbed onto the step of the bus. "His clear affection for her is more genuine than any of them know, but she can not see it."

"Because he acts like Tugger?"

"Exactly." Ascending the staircase, Khan stepped back to let Victor move in first. "Now, let us speak with this mate of yours."

* * *

"Why don't you just come over and join us, hon?" Mattie was leaning lazily against Topper's side, her hands folded over her rounded belly. Her question was directed at the red-gold queen, a faint smile on her lips. 

Nicole shook her head. "I'm fine here."

His head hidden from Nicole's line of sight, Presley blew out a sigh, staring up at the leaf-less trees above them. "Or if I wasn't here." He added under his breath, his hands woven together behind his head.

"Don't be so paranoid, shorty." Topper mumbled.

"I'm not being paranoid." Presley retorted, reaching over Mattie's bulging stomach to claw lightly at Topper's flickering tail.

"Ow!"

"Wasn't me!" The calico tom jerked upright.

Mattie chuckled, cuffing him lightly across the head. "I know, kiddo." She moved her hand over her belly, her eyes lighting up. "He kicked!" She exclaimed, her eyes shining. "I can feel him kicking!" She caught Presley's hand and laid it on her bump. "Wait a second...there!"

"Whoa! Cool! He kicked me!" Tapping the bump beneath his fingertips, he laughed when the bump tapped back. "Matts, sweetie, that's amazing...I can feel him..." He looked at the two beside him. "You guys have to feel this..."

Both Fawn and Topper moved around, each taking a turn to touch the bump and laughing as it beat a mad rhythm against their hands. Curious, Nicole edged a little nearer, pausing beside the small calico, who was staring at Mattie's belly with an expression of awe.

His small hand caught one of Nicole's and before she could protest, he pressed it to the spot where his hand had been, holding it there. "Presley! Let go of..." Her voice trailed off as a small foot kicked beneath her palm. "Oh..."

"Isn't it amazing?" She heard the calico whisper and glanced at him. His eyes were still focused on Mattie, his smile broad. Her eyes drifted back to their hands, his still lightly pressing hers down on the white fur of Mattie's belly.

Leaving her hand where it was, she smiled at him. "Yeah." She replied, patting his hand where it lay over hers. "It's amazing." She looked back down at Mattie, who was beaming brightly up at them. "Amazing..."

She didn't notice Presley's gaze move to her face or the tiny quirk of a delighted smile that crept onto his lips. Topper did notice, though, catching the smaller tom's eyes for less than a second and winking at him.

Presley shook his head and the small smile widened a tiny bit.

* * *

"You're joking!" 

"Victor's unconscious. That was my aim all along."

Cheetera threw a small pillow at the warlock's head. "Tell me, were you joking or are you serious, Khan? I'm not as lenient as my mate."

The Himalayan tom smiled widely at her. "I was not joking, Lady Cheetera." He replied, taking her slim hand in his. "My congratulations to you both...and tell your mate that he could take some lessons in control from you."

"I heard that." Victor groaned, sitting up. "Are you a hundred percent sure, Khan? You're not just trying to make me look stupid?"

"Do you wish to see, Victor?" He took the tabby's hand and pressed it to the gold queen's belly gently. "Close your eyes." There was a blur of crimson behind Victor's eyelids, then he 'saw' a tiny form, barely more than a small blob with tinier blobs for arms and legs. "You see?"

The silver tabby fell back against the pillows with a gasp. "Oh Rumpus...Chee...we're...we're going to have a kitten!" He breathed, moving to her side and gathering her in his arms. "I'm going to be...a daddy..."

"And I'm going to be a mummy." She could see traces of sadness from his memories and squeezed his hand. "Vic, this is our first kitten...we're going to be parents...you and me...and nothing, NOTHING is going to happen to stop that."

He nodded, dipping his head down to kiss her gently. "I wonder if you'll still be able to fit into the bus, when you get big..." He murmured cheekily, receiving an indignant yell and a swat from his mate.

"Excuse me, Leader." Khan had scrambled to his feet.

"You don't need to leave, Khan!" Cheetera laughed. "We're not going to do anything more."

Khan flashed a faint grin at her. "It is not that, my Lady." He said. "Although I can assure you that you have done enough already...it is that we have guests tangled up in one of my guardian devices and I believe they would rather not be under a tickling charm."

He blinked out of the bus.

Victor and Cheetera turned to one another, raising their eyebrows.

"Tickling charm?" The gold queen spoke.

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of being shocked that Khan actually made an insinuative comment..." Her mate replied, capturing her mouth in a hot kiss. "But he was very wrong, y'know..."

Arching as his hand rubbed leisurely down her body, Cheetera groaned. "In what way?" She asked huskily.

"He said we had done enough already." Victor leaned on his elbow to gaze down at her, eyes full of adoration. Pressing his lips to her neck and shoulder, he purred softly. Her soft buzz sounded against his ear. "Do you think he was right, Chee?"

"I hope not." Flipping her mate onto his back, she straddled his waist and dipped down to kiss him hungrily. Her nose brushing against his, she panted heavily. "How long do you think we've got before we have to go and see the guests?"

Victor rolled her over onto her back and joined with her. Both groaned in pleasure. "Just enough time, love." He breathed against her neck. "Just enough..."

* * *

"Eeep!" 

Mattie opened one eye. "Topps, Pres 'eeped'. Should we be concerned?"

"It usually means he's seen something he likes, worships, or wants to be." Topper snickered as a calico paw swatted at him. "I'm guessing that means that the laughing we heard was visitors from the other tribe of the maned variety."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!"

Nicole raised herself on one arm with a chuckle. "I'm assuming that's a yes." She looked across the yard where Khan was standing, talking to three near-identical toms. "Yep. Tugger, Nuada and Maaahes, all present and correct." She raised a brow. "They've brought Cassie along too. And her kid. And Silvana."

"Eep! Eep! Eep!"

Mattie groaned. "Pres, honey, could you just stop bouncin' against me...as if the kitten ain't bad enough, dancin' on my bladder."

"I-I-I should go and talk to him...to them...eeeeeep!"

"Just go already, Pres." Topper chuckled, glancing at Fawn, who shook her head and chuckled under her breath.

"B-b-but I can't!" The little tom wailed.

Four pairs of eyes looked at one another. "Why on earth not?" Fawn asked, sitting up. "He's here. You're here. All you have to do is walk over and move your mouth and make words come out of it."

"Mwibble..."

"Methinketh that Pres is a bittie starstruck." Topper rolled to kneel up and eyed his friend. "Is that it, Pres?" The calico nodded and made a gesture above his head. "Well, yeah, everyone is taller than you, Pres." The calico made a mane-tossing gesture. "Yeah, he has a mane too."

The little tom whimpered, gawping up as Tugger and his family approached them. "Meep!"

"Hey Tuggs." Topper saluted up at the tall Maine Coon. "Come to see your groupie?"

"Mini-Top, I have no clue what you're talkin' about." Tugger glanced curiously down at Presley, who was peeping over Fawn's shoulder. "Seb just told me to come and check y'all had left the yard in one piece for him."

Each of the family nodded greetings to the small group sprawled out on the grass. Topper got to his feet, geaturing for Tugger and his son's to join him.

"You are looking very well, Mattie." Cassandra smiled down at the pregnant queen. "How are you enjoying pregnancy?"

"Its great, apart from the being built like a bus, being full of water everywhere and needing to pee every five minutes." She patted her rounded stomach. "Cass...could you maybe...look in at it, see if its okay?"

Cassandra laughed. "I could try." She replied, sinking smoothly down to kneel at the queen's side, Silvana sitting beside her. Cassandra raised her eyes to find Presley's. "Who is your shy friend?"

"Presley?" The calico jumped at the sound of Mattie's voice, his eyes on Tugger, his twin sons and Topper who had walked a little away and were deep in discussion. Tugger kept glancing at him, nodding and smirking that little smirk. "Pres, hello?"

"Wha?"

Mattie chuckled. "Pres, this is Cassandra and her friend is Silvana." Sky blue eyes met blue-green and the Burmese queen smiled ever so slightly. "Pres belongs to the humans who live next to the yard."

"I don't belong to them." Presley pouted. "They belong to me."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at Mattie, who nodded. "It is a privilege to meet you, Presley."

"No worries, babe." He flashed a grin at her, then yelped and ducked behind Mattie's shoulder again, as Leona approached, sporting the mane so similar to her father's. "Eeep!"

"What's that behind her?" The pretty young Princess asked her mother.

"That's a big fan of your father's, my dear." Cassandra chuckled again. "He seems to be rather shy of anyone sporting a mane." A little hand stuck up over Mattie's shoulder and gave the telepath the thumbs-up. "You see?"

Leona rounded the pregnant queen and squatted down beside Presley. "Hey."

"Mwibble?"

The Princess laughed. "Mom, he looks like Cori!"

"Mfubble!" He sounded indignant, even though she couldn't understand his words.

She cocked her head. "Can you actually say anything that makes sense?"

"I think that's asking for too much." Nicole commented dryly. Presley shot a glare at her and then looked up at Leona, clearing his throat.

"While my illocutionary force is occasionally submissive in the presence of beauty rivalled by wit, I deem it polite to reveal such emotions of awe and admiration in simple and thoroughly incomprehensible terms."

Leona looked at her mother, who looked like she was on the verge of laughing. "Uh...mom, what did he say?"

"That was a Rumblepurr-styled compliment." Fawn said with a smile. "He says that he sometimes goes 'buh' when good-looking people are about cos its the best way to show how impressed he is."

"Uh...huh..." Leona eyed him suspiciously. "Okay...that's weird...Cori talking like Rumble..."

Presley fluffed up in indignantion. "Look, babe, you might be the tom's daughter, and a real little cutie to boot but I ain't about to let you drag my name through the mud..." A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "Unless you're gonna let me drag you with me."

"Oh Rumpus!" Leona, Silvana and Cassandra cracked up, clutching one another.

Presley smirked slightly, shaking an imaginary mane.

* * *

"The kid's that big a groupie?" 

"Bet he likes my look better." Maahes preened.

"Nah." Nuada sniggered. "Kitt's got taste. It'd be me."

Topper chuckled. "Why are you calling him a kitt?"

"Ain't he?" The grey guardian shook his head with a wide grin. "He's seven years old." He said. The three toms stared at him in shock. "What?"

"You gotta be kiddin'!" Tugger exclaimed, shaking his head. "The dude...he's smaller than Pounce and Pounce is pretty tiny." Topper simply grinned and the Maine Coon groaned. "I always get freakiest groupies...you think he'd like it, huh?"

"He wants to be like you lot. If you could just let Khan do the mojo, I think it would show him that's he's not up to the role, especially if you're standing right next to him." Tugger preened at the words, his sons mimicking the gesture. "I think it would finally shut him up."

"That's kinda cute...in a freakish way." With his famous half-grin, Tugger chuckled. "A mini-me. It'd be one helluva laugh if nothing else."

Beckoning Khan closer, Topped asked. "Could you do that?"

"It's easy enough." Khan agreed with a smile. "We just have to get Pres within twenty paces of you, which is the real magic in this case."

"No problem." Topper crossed the grass, stepped behind Mattie and caught Presley in his arms, half-carrying, half-dragging the yelping calico towards the three maned toms, each of whom were grinning at one another. "Tugger, Nuada, Maahes, meet Presley."

Tugger cocked a brow. "Hey, kid."

"Guh..."

"Eloquent." The eldest tom grinned. "I like it." Squatting down to face the calico who was sprawled on the ground at Topper's feet, he folded his hands, resting his forearms on his knees. "So you wanna be like me, huh?" The small tom nodded, wide-eyed. "Well, magic boy here can apparently make you look like me. Wanna see how you compare to the Tugger?"

"Me?" He managed a squeak.

Tugger chuckled. "Sure, kid. Just for today, you get to be one of the Tuggerettes." Awed blue-green eyes stared up at the Coon. "Khan, care to step on in and perform your mojo thing." He gave Topper a wink, then spoke down to Presley. "You ready, kid?"

"Uh huh!"

Placing a hand on Tugger's arm for the patterning, Khan laid his other hand on Presley's head and closed his eyes. The calico's short hair started to lengthen, changing colour and blending into golds and blacks.

A dazzling gold mane sprouted around his shoulders and chest, a perfect imitation of Tugger's infamous quiff curling over his forehead. Staring at his hands, he watched leopard-spots appear on his fur and started to grin a frighteningly familiar half-grin.

"Finished." Khan lifted his hand away and looked down at his handiwork. "Well, what do you think of it?"

Presley was on his feet, looking down at every inch of his body, catching his bushy tail in his hand, so different from his sleek fur. Tracing the leopard patterns on the back of his hands, he raised his eyes to Tugger. "How is it, dude?"

"Eh?" Tugger looked nonplussed. The smaller tom leaned back against the original coon's hip and examined his claws lazily. Nudging him away with a hip-bump, Tugger inquired. "What are you talkin' about?"

"How does it feel to see the smaller, cuter version of you?" Presley smirked at him and Tugger blinked. What had happened to the shy little groupie?

Topper couldn't help grinning. "Looking good, Pres."

"Naturally." Presley's smirk widened. His eyes drifted to the little group of queens under the trees and his eyes sparkled with glee. "He-llo ladies!" He purred, strolling towards them with a strut so reminiscent of his idol.

Cassandra and Silvana were clutching one another, laughing so hard that they looked like they were about to cry from mirth. Leona was gawping at the miniature replica of her father, her mouth opening and shutting but no sound escaping her.

"Topper, I thought you said he would get over himself." Tugger muttered urgently to the grey tom. "What's he doin'?"

The Guardian half-smiled. "He's being himself." He replied. "Normally, he doesn't have the look to get away with it, but now..." Mattie was giggling insanely and clutching her belly, Presley fawning over her with Tugger's smirk still in place. "He'll love you forever for this."

"I'm thinkin' that that might not be such a good thing." The Coon said. He shook his head. "Is it me or is that boy me when I was a kid? Only shorter?"

Khan smiled slightly. "Just count yourself very fortunate that he is not being seen by the rest of your tribe, Tugger." He remarked softly. "At least it is only your mates and kittens seeing him here, doing an impression of a younger you..."

"Remembering the days when you were young, old man?" Nuada grinned.

"As if we didn't do that enough." Maahes added, winking at his twin.

Tugger buried his face in one paw and groaned. "Just shut up." He mumbled.

* * *

"Helloo, foxy laydee!" Cheetera squealed in surprise as a small black and maned form swung her over his rather low knee. Clutching at his shoulders for support, she stared at him. "And how pretty you're lookin'." 

Victor stared down at tom. "Tugger?" He asked uncertainly.

"Don't ask, man." He raised his eyes and saw Tugger sitting on top of one of the crates, his elbows resting on his knees, his chin cupped in his hands. Doing a double take at the tom holding his mate, Victor's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"What's going on? Why's there a midget Tugger hugging my mate?"

"Hey Old Top." Releasing the giggling Cheetera, the maned tom swung round and mocked a salute. "You're lookin'...uh..." He looked the tabby up and down, one brow rising a fraction, the finished. "Stripey."

The Leader stared down at the mini-tom, suddenly recognising the pale eyes. "Presley?"

"Whoa! He's smarter than he looks!" Giving the startled tabby a nudge in the ribs, he grinned widely. "You got me."

"Okay, which idiot came up with this brainwave?" Victor demanded as Presley strutted off, tossing his mane as if he had always had it. He looked around at the members of the tribe he could see. "Who was it?"

"Yo, man, chill." Presley called over his shoulder. "It's not permanent. One day ticket as Tugger for Pres, okay?"

Sliding an arm around Cheetera's waist, Victor exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank Rumpus for that." He mumbled, then he called to Topper. "Was it you?" The grey tom atop the Piccadilly bus tried to look innocent, but failed and grinned. "I hope you're pleased with yourself."

"Definitely!" Topper called back.

The Leader shook his head and laughed. "Tugger," He turned his attention to the Coon and his twins on the crates. "Its nice to see you visiting our humble home." He offered a hand, which the Coon touched, smiling faintly. "What convinced you to let _that_ happen?"

He nodded in the direction of Presley, who was playing the part for all he was worth. Both of Tugger's mates were teasing Tugger by acting up to the little tom, all the other queens present laughing and shaking their heads.

"Your Guardian told me it'd stop him bein' such a groupie."

"Never gonna happen, man." Presley appeared behind Victor again, smirking. "Anyone would think you don't see this as flatterin', Tugger." He ruffled his mane and grinned slightly. "Maybe cos I make it look better than you."

"Now just a second, short stuff..."

"Chill, man. No need for name callin'."

Hopping down from the crate, Tugger stood in front of the miniature version of himself. "You think anyone can outdo the Tugger?"

"Well, nah..." Presley replied, shrugging. Tugger smirked, flicking his mane. Presley sniggered and added. "But then, I'm not just anyone." He mimicked the mane flick and raised an eyebrow at the tall tom. "Feeling challenged by so many younger models?

Tugger snorted. "As if a midget like you could ever go against the Tugger and win."

"Unless I'm mistaken, man, you're spoken for. I'm young, free, single and," He flicked his mini-mane again. "Damn cute too."

"Kid, I have the looks and experience."

"But not the personality to back 'em up."

Tugger grinned. "But you still wanna look like me and act like me?"

"Like I said, I'm makin' up for your lack of personality in my interpretation."

The taller of the two gaped down at the smaller. Then, he broke out in a wide grin and started to laugh. "You know, kid, I think we would have made on helluva team if you'd been around when I was a kitt."

"I manage good on my own," Presley grinned back. "But those woulda been great days." He held out a hand and Tugger touched it. "Think its time for me to be myself again?" Tugger nodded. "Yo, Khany-baby! Get your golden ass out here."

"Khany baby?" Tugger cocked a brow.

"Learned from the best, big guy."

Tugger gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks, shorty."

Both of them waited impatiently for the mystic, who ran down from the bus, only to come to a halt as they turned identical expressions to him, each with one brow raised and their arms crossed over their chests.

"Are we ready to get this over with?" He asked, trying not to laugh out loud. "You bet."

Khan gestured for the smaller tom to stand in front of him. "Presley, I need you to concentrate on your original colours, if you please." The little tom nodded, rubbing his nose and sniffing. "I will need to concentrate, so try to be precise."

"So what I'm remembering will transmit to you and you'll change me back?"

"That is the essence of it." Khan nodded once, placing his hand on Presley's head. "Are you ready?" A flicker-image of a calico passed at the back of Khan's mind, the image the small tom had projected to him, albeit a little out of focus. Presley's head bobbed in an nod. "Close your eyes and focus on that appearance and I will try to stay as true to it as possible."

Again, Presley's head bobbed and Khan inhaled a slow, purifying breath, concentrating on controlling the smaller tom's form.

Ignoring the gasps of astonishment and shout of laughter, his connection to Presley's mind was unbroken. He focused on black colouring, but felt a twinge of denial. Frowning mentally, he tried the brown shading that had patched the tom's face. Again, there was a twinge.

His eyes snapped open and he stared down at Presley. The small tom stared resolutely back at him, gritting his teeth and almost smirking. All the colour seemed to have drained from his Tugger look leaving it creamy-white, but his fur was still long, dotted here and there with colour.

_What are you doing!_

_You think I want to be a calico again? The Himalayan started at the mind-voice that replied coolly, but as strained as his own. Do I look stupid?_

Khan grit his teeth, forcing against the small tom's mind, but Presley had a strength there that startled him. Those are your birth colours, Presley. Accept them. Blotches of colour started to pop up on the tom's fur.

_Those are the colours of my father, Khan_. Presley's voice was low, pain-filled. The father who abandoned me. The blotches started to fade, leaving his fur the pale colour again. _My mother was white. I wish to share her colours_.

Blue eyes met blue-green, both equally determined. _This is not regular, Presley_.

_Duh!_ Laughter sparkled in his eyes for less than an instant. Just do this one small thing for me, Khan. There was a pleading note in his voice, also in his eyes. _Let me have this one thing that shows I was my mother's son._

Khan blew out a sigh. _Very well, Presley._

Thank you, Khan. The sincerity in the smaller tom's mind-voice surprised the gold-cream warlock, the green-blue eyes shutting again.

Finally stepping away from the short tom, Khan lowered his hand and smiled faintly. "You are changed, Presley." He said quietly.

Opening his eyes, Presley stared down at himself, tears welling in his eyes. _Thank you_. He whispered, touching his gold mane reverently. _I admit this may have been an extra, but I thank you for it none the less_.

_It was the least I could do, Pres._

Shakily walking passed the staring group of felines, Presley climbed up to inspect himself in the mirror of one of the buses. Turning the mirror inwards, he stood on the ledge alongside the cab and a wide smile lit up his face, happy tears splashing down his fur.

The small tom had become a rich, creamy-white from nose to toe. A blonde mane stood in a quiff similar to Tugger's, matching the gold-furred vest. His chest was dotted with gold rosettes as were his paws, his tail a thick blend of gold, cream, white and brown fur.

Only a few signs of his calico heritage remained; a few tufts of pale brown and black in his shoulder fur and some flecks of dark gold, black and brown on his face. A smattering of brown dotted his left hip, but it was barely noticeable.

"Whoa! Cool, Khan!"

Victor gave Khan a pointed nudge. "What were you doing?"

The Himalayan caught Presley's pleading look and smiled. "I assumed the little tom was getting rather frustrated with constantly being compared to Coricopat." Presley flashed a grateful smile at him. "This way, he gets a little variety."

_Thank you._ No one but Khan could hear the tears swelling in the now-white tom's voice. He hid his face, standing with his back to them as he continued to stare at the mirror, unseeing, trying to stem the flow of his tears. He really did look like his mother, after all.

_No problem, Pres. You okay?_ The white tom nodded, biting on his lower lip. _Are you sure?_

_Positive. I just need a minute...just thinking about my mother..._

Khan nodded. Turning his attention back to the whole Tugger family who were eyeing Presley with interest, he forced a grin. "So, Tugger, how would you like to try life in white instead of black? A little variety never harmed anyone."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think so. I don't wanna be accused of mimicking the mini-King over there." Presley caught his words and flashed a watery grin over at the Maine Coon. "And I've been this way for so long. Why bother changin' now? I got what I like with this colour."

Both Nuada and Maahes were grinning. They looked over at the small, white tom and chuckled, nudging one another. "Why'd you choose those colours, Khan?"

"Because it matches Elvis." Nicole said sourly. "All he needs is the black quiff and he would officially change his name to 'The King'."

A cheeky laugh sounded from the small tom. "Alas, poor ol' red has got good measure of me already." He turned and fluffed his mane with a smirk. Only Khan could sense the barely masked pain radiating from the tom. "Say hello to the new and improved me!"

"Pah!" Nicole shot him a dark look and stalked onto the bus, prowling up the stairs without so much as a backward glance.

Presley looked after her, then turned to the Tugger family, raising and brow with an amused chuckle. "What bit her on the butt?" He shrugged in response to his own query, hopping lightly down from the bus and strolling casually towards the other members of the tribe. "So, guys, whaddya think?"

"This is gonna take some getting used to!" Topper yelled from the top of the bus.

"I'll say!" Fawn agreed.

Twirling the curl of his miniature quiff around his fingers, Presley grinned as it sprang back into place, a perfect ringlet at the centre of his forehead. A thoughtful look crossed his face. "I wonder what Bertie and Helen'll think…"

"Who?" Tugger raised a brow.

"The humans."

The Maine Coon tom exchanged glances with the Leader, then looked back at Presley. "You think they'll recognise you when you come back in a whole different colour than the colour you went out in?"

"Never mind the colour change thing!" Stacatcher laughed. "He's coming home looking like a whole new breed!"

Presley smirked. "You underestimate the bond between the Pres-master and his humans."

"Oh Bast…" Cheetera groaned. "He's going to sing…I wanna go back to the bus already…"

The newly-white tom grinned. "I don't have to sing, y'know, Chee." He remarked. "All I gotta do is hop up on my trusty Jukebox and choose my favourite song by the King and they'll recognise me straight off."

"And they won't wonder why you've suddenly got a mane and Elvis quiff?" Victor raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Presley chuckled again. "Vic, man, take a good look at my owners. Look at the things they have in that café of theirs. Look at the friggin' pink car they have. Do you honestly think anythin' could phase them?"

"Good point." The tabby admitted.

The white tom grinned widely. "Well, Tuggs, babe, it was great of ya to come and everythin', but I'm gonna have to scarper. Time to go in and show Hel and Bertie just what a stud their little kitt has become." He offered a gold-leopard spotted paw to the taller tom and Tugger chuckled, high-fiving the younger tom.

"Good luck with the chicks, buddy." Tugger murmured conspiratorially.

"And don't you encourage him, my dear." Cassandra purred throatily, running a hand over her mate's rump.

The black Maine Coon flashed a devilish grin at her. "Would I do such a thing, babe?"

"Why do you think I said it, babe?"

Presley looked from one to the other and chuckled. "Well, guys, I'm goin' off to bug the humans. I bet I'll get a whole canna cream for bein'…" He put on an airy falsetto. "Such a wonderful and handsome fella."

Before any of them could reach out to swat him, the white tom darted off, laughing. Victor shook his head and groaned.

"As if he wasn't bad enough before…" Turning to Tugger, then each of the Coon's family, he smiled faintly. "It was nice of you to come and visit, Tugger…company…It may have just turned the craziest member of our tribe that little bit crazier, but what's life without a bit of madness?"

"Hey, man, sanity is overrated."

Cassandra leaned around her mate and added. "He is speaking from experience."

"Cass! Babe! I'm offended!"

"She's right, though." Silvana added, leaning in against his other side.

The Heathrow tribe couldn't help chuckling as they watched the little family starting down the alley, towards the main street, the Tugger looking from one mate to the other with abject despair written on his face.

* * *

After the Tugger and his family had departed for home, the little tribe had scattered around the yard, several of them making their way to the café, for something to eat. One of the few who had remained alone was Fawn. 

Wandering towards the trees, she glanced up at the tree house where the Guardian resided, a small smile reaching her lips at the thought of the dark grey tuxedo. He had been wonderfully sweet to her since she had joined them and she couldn't help liking the cheerful tom.

Coming to stand beneath the other tree, the one that was nearer the high fence that shielded the yard, she leaned against the trunk.

"You coming, Fawn?" Victor peered around the pole of the Victoria bus, his mate bouncing off the step behind him and darting away across the yard. The red-maned queen shook her head with a faint smile.

"You go on." She replied, rubbing her back against the bark, trying to get rid of an itch between her shoulders. "I'm not hungry right…now." The tabby nodded, hurrying after his mate, not noticing the expression that crossed the healer's face.

She was staring up at the tree above her and, more importantly, at a small, brown, red-breasted bird that was chirping and hopping along the branches.

A shaking, spotted paw rose to the healer's nose, tears brimming in her eyes as she stared up at the small bird. Twittering merrily, the little bird was oblivious to the surge of pain he had caused the cat in the yard below him.

"Heyhey, Fawny…lady…?"

The healer jumped in surprise at the familiar voice. "T-Topper." Hastily rubbing her eyes, she turned with a strained smile. "I-I didn't hear you."

"Fawn, what's up?"

"Up?" Her voice sounded strained, even to her. "Nothing…"

"Fawn, tell me." He turned her face to his and lifted her chin gently. "Please?"

Tears rolled down the queen's cheeks. "That." She pointed straight up.

"You couldn't catch it?"

"It's a robin…"

"Uh…"

The Healer lowered her head, sniffing softly as the tom gently drew her into his arms, hugging her comfortingly. "My son…" She said quietly. "When I was in…there, I had to have kittens. I had to do more than one thing to make sure I didn't become worthless. I-I had three…Robin, he was my baby."

"Is he still in there?" Topper held her close, wondering if he would possibly be able to kill the ginger tom with his own paws.

"I-I saw him just before I left. He got injured…" She sighed. "He wasn't Enforcer material...he got hurt, so he got reassigned as a courier." He felt her stifle a sob again and hugged her again. "I hope he hasn't forgotten me…"

"He can't have forgotten you, Fawny. You're his mother." The tom said gently, lifting her face in his hand. She opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger to her lips, giving her a reassuring smile. "He won't forget you."

"But…"

He shook his head. "No buts, Spots." He said, dipping his head to gently kiss her.

Fawn felt her heart suddenly skip a beat, her eyes widening briefly before sinking shut as the tall Guardian tentatively deepened the shy kiss. Her hands ran up his chest as he held her closer, a mew escaping her.

Breaking apart, they slowly drew back, staring at one another.

"I don't believe it!"

The shriek of rage and confusion made them both jerk around, to see Nicole pointing accusingly at them. Her expression screamed of betrayal and hurt, one hand rising to her mouth. She shook her head, taking a step back.

"Nicci!" Topper took a step towards her, but Fawn spread a hand on his chest.

"No, I'll talk to her." She gave him a shy smile, then hurried after the red queen, catching up with her as she rounded the bus. "Nicole!"

The red rounded on her. "What? It isn't enough that I find you making out with my best friend, then you come and invade my privacy as well?"

"I just want to talk, Nic."

Nicole suspiciously stared at the healer, then reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Talk."

* * *

Chronicler's Note

Guh. Meh-guh. I was kissed. Me. Kissed. By Fawn.

Er…Chronicles…right…

I GOT KISSED! (And laid, but lets keep that til later!)

Pres is now a mini-Tug, except in white. Tuggs and company visited. I GOT LAID! And mated too. Wahey! Nicole seemed a little bittie awkward about it, but Fawn apparently did the girly-chat thing and now, we're cool.

And I've got a mate! Go me!

Speaking of whi……..


	5. The Killing Fields

THE KILLING FIELDS

By Rio

Storyline by Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter Five - October

* * *

"Are you sure they won't mind?"

Presley shrugged. "Don't see why they would, buddy." He replied, shifting into housecat form and stretching one hind leg, then the other. "They didn't mind that Star and Matts wandered in, in the middle of the night and fell asleep on the couch."

"You've got weird humans, Pres." Topper drawled from his position on top of the Cadillac near the gate.

The white tom chuckled. "Don't I know it!"

"What am I supposed to do, Vic?" Cheetera pouted at her mate, her hands on her hips. "Stay here on my lonesome and wait for some big dashing tomcat to come and steal me away while you aren't looking?"

"Never gonna happen, gorgeous." Spinning her into his arms, he nuzzled his way up her cheek playfully.

"And why not?" She laughed, her head rolling back as he started to teasingly nip his way down her neck.

Kissing his way seductively back up to his mate's lips, Victor lifted her chin in his hand. "Because." He murmured, his fingers framing her face. "You, my dear, sweet, innocent, fuzzy Cheetera, would never find someone who could..."

"Who could what?" His lips were barely a millimeter away from hers and she was shaking with anticipation.

"Do..."

She wet her lips, huffing out a breath through her nose. "Do what?"

"NOTHING!" The tabby hooted merrily, leaping back from her with a wide grin. The loss of his supporting arm at her waist caught her off-guard and she fell on her tail in the mud, shrieking loudly in surprise.

"Victor!"

Staring down demurely at her, Victor cocked his head innocently. "Chee, what are you sitting down in the dirt for?"

The gold-leopard-patterned queen said something surprisingly rude that made Presley blush, Topper snigger and her mate gape at her. Flicking her tail, she turned and prowled away from them, flashing a devilish grin back at her tabby mate.

Watching her strut towards the bus, his head half-cocked, his jaw gaping slightly, the Leader managed to shake his head. "I can't believe that that crazy person is going to be the mother of my kittens..."

"Would you find it more believable if I told you it was Presley?" Topper suggested, winking at the white tom.

Victor looked from his mate to the short tom beside him, then back again. "You know..." He remarked. "I think I would."

"Actually, Vicci-poos..." Presley lisped, toying with the tip of his tail in a shockingly feminine way. He batted his eyes at the tabby. "I have some news for you, hunny-bunny..." Fanning himself with his tail, he giggled in a way that sounded identical to the tabby's mate. "We're having a baby!"

Topper fell off the Cadillac, rolling on the ground with laughter. "I never knew you were such a queen, Pres!"

"Oooh, you brute!" Presley continued his act, swatting at the dark grey tom with a petulant pout. "You're so-so..." He threw his paws up in a gesture reminiscent of Fawn. "Oooh! You're so insensitive to my delicate personality!"

Victor – determined to be the serious leader – cleared his throat, biting on the insides of his cheeks to hide a grin that was threatening to form. "Priscilla, dear, behave yourself."

Flouncing towards the Leader, Presley hid his wide grin coyly behind his tail. "Has anyone ever told you that you have awfuwwy pwetty eyes?" He cooed, adding another Cheetera-styled giggle for effect.

Victor cracked, one hand sealing over his mouth to muffle the undignified snorts of laughter that were escaping him in little squeaks.

"Stoppit!" Topper gasped, one hand clutching his chest painfully. "Breath...must..."

Presley released his tail and turned to his friend with a wicked smirk on his lips. "Awww, look at the poor baby." He drawled. "Whatcha laughin' at, Topps? Can't see anythin' funny hereabouts, can you, Vic?"

"Merf!" Victor managed to grunt, sniggering as Presley tried to force his fluffy tail to stay flat.

The white tom sighed, hands on his hips as he glared down at his tail. "Honestly, I can't take this thing anywhere!" He sighed again and looked at the two laughing toms. "Uh, Vic, man, you comin' in or not?"

"Uh-huh!" The tabby nodded, straining to keep his face straight.

* * *

"But I wanna go downstairs!" 

Starcatcher breathed out a sigh. "Love, you try and walk down the stairs with that belly and you'll fall."

The heavily pregnant queen scowled up at her mate. "Are you sayin' I'm fat?" She asked, staring up at him darkly from beneath her brows.

"Mattie, my lady," Khan interceded gently. "I'm sure your mate is only concerned about your welfare and that of your kitten." Starcatcher nodded enthusiastically. "You have to admit it is rather difficult to maintain you balance when you have such...such...a protuberance."

"So now you're sayin' I'm fat as well?" With a mournful, howling sob, the queen buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Continuing to wail, her voice rose in volume. "I-I-I must be s-so fat and ugly!"

"Nice going, Khan." Starcatcher sniggered.

"That is not what I meant, Lady Mattie!" He bent to touch her on the shoulder and promptly got socked in the jaw by the wailing queen. "Ow!"

"Star, am-am-am I ugly and fat?" Big, tear-filled eyes looked up at the huge black tom. He shook his head, coming down to sit beside her.

"Never, love." Wrapping her in his arms, he drew her against his chest. His hand drifted down to the rounded swell of her belly, stroking softly over the bulge. He felt the vibration of the little feet patting beneath his fingers. "You look beautiful."

"Really?" Her colourful hand scraped down his chest, over the ridged muscle of his stomach.

"Really." He replied, bending to kiss her mouth gently. Her arms locked around him, pulling him hard against her.

Khan had backed away from them after being smacked in the jaw. He rubbed his chin, his brow wrinkled in a frown of confusion. "I do not understand what just happened here." He said softly to Fawn, who chuckled.

"You've never seen a mood swing in progress before, have you?"

"Are they always so...so...rapid?"

"You really have no idea, do you?"

Khan shook his head. "Is it normal for them to be so angry one moment and so..."

"Horny?" Fawn supplied helpfully.

"Well, yes..." Khan coloured beneath his fur, his ears twitching. "Is that...normal?"

The Healer chuckled. "Hence the term 'mood-swing', Khan."

The Himalayan ruefully smiled at her. "It seems that I have much to learn about life within our tribe, does it not?"

"We're all learning." Fawn clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I only knew about mood swings because I was dealing with pregnant queens for a long time before I ever arrived at the old tribe."

"Do I have to stay in here?" Mattie interrupted. "I wanna see the sun."

"There's a small technical difficulty there, love." Starcatcher nuzzled between her ears. "It's kinda pouring with rain out there."

"It is? Oh poo..." Groaning, she struggled to her feet. "Now I need to pee." She smacked lightly at her mate's shoulder. "You had to mention water, didn't ya?" She struggled over to the small basin that had been designated as her toilet, since she had been moved into the 'infirmary' level of the bus. "Do you guys mind?" She demanded pointedly.

"Er...right..." Hurrying through the drapes that separated the front half of the bus from the rear, the trio exchanged rueful glances.

"Oh crud!"

"What is it, Mattie?" Fawn called through the curtains.

"I think my waters broke!" The coloured feline wailed. Starcatcher burst through the drapes and helped his mate shakily get up. A twinge of pain ran through the underside of her belly. "Oh, yeah...it's time..."

"Okay! Okay! Don't panic!" The black tom hoisted his shrieking mate up in his arms, then spun, looking around frantically at the infirmary area. "Where do we go? What do we do? What happens now?"

Fawn touched his arm. "Star, you put your mate down on the pillow you're standing on." She said, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Oh! Right!" Carefully laying the giggling Mattie down, he looked up at Fawn for orders.

"What now?"

"Star, labour usually takes a while. There's no hurry." The black tom nodded, until Mattie groaned and groped for his hand.

"Is it coming?"

Mattie chuckled, shaking her head. "It was only a contraction, Star." She replied. "Wanna sit behind me for this?"

"Can I?"

Fawn shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Sliding in behind his mate, Starcatcher drew her against his chest. "Comfy?" She nodded, rubbing the top of her head beneath his chin. "Can you believe this? Can you believe that we're going to have a kitt, love?"

Another contraction hit her and she groaned slightly. "I think I can believe it." She replied, with a low chuckle.

* * *

"Head's up!" A yell from high above them made Victor flatten himself to the floor, fur bushed, a low hiss escaping him. Presley shot an amused look at the tabby, lunging forward and tackling something that was swirling towards them at a terrifying rate of knots. 

Whatever it was, it seemed to be a mass of dripping wet, soapy hair attached to a long, thin wooden stick. Growling playfully, the white tom tackled it, landing squarely on top of the hairy part, riding it across the linoleum.

The human at the top of the pole chuckled. "Nice catch, Bertie!" He made a sweeping motion with the thing and Presley lost his grip, skidding off in dizzying circles across the smooth, freshly washed floor.

"What's going on through there, Andy?" Another human voice called as Presley thudded squarely into the door.

"Bertie's playing tag with the mop, Hel!" The dark-haired human at the top of the pole called back, laughing. He turned towards Victor, who was still cowering on the floor, eyeing the weird human warily. "He's got a pal with him."

"Must be one of the bunch from the yard out back."

The tall human nodded, cocking his head to look down at Victor. "Hey, kitt." One hand still holding the mop handle, he squatted down and held out a hand to the tom. "You don't need to be scared of me...I'm a nice guy..."

The Leader took a wary step back. "Pres?"

"What's up?" Winding around Andy's ankles, the white tom purred as he was firmly rubbed between the ears.

"What does he want?"

Clawing at Andy's hand with velveted claws, Presley mock-growled as he was rolled onto his back and his tummy was rubbed by the human's hand. He shouted with laughter, squirming under the tickling fingers. "He wants to pet you, Vic."

"Huh?" Presley was distracted, gnawing ferociously on the young human's fingers but without the force to break the skin or draw blood. "Pres?"

"Let him touch you." The white tom replied, as he was lifted up by the teen and was carefully propped on his right shoulder. Grinning around the human's cheek, he nodded as Victor took a step closer to the human. "He won't hurt ya, Vic."

"This a friend of yours, Elvis?" Andy raised his left hand and rubbed the small white tom firmly between the ears. Presley purred again, butting the top of his skull against Andy's hand.

The tabby crinkled his nose in confusion. The younger tom looked completely at home with this large being, his upper body stretching lazily over the human's shoulder, his cheek rubbing comfortably against Andy's. The white tom's claws were kneading into the cord strap of the apron that Andy was wearing.

Whatcha waitin' for?"

"Think he doesn't like me, fuzzbum?" Half-growling at the insult, Presley swatted at Andy's ear. The human chuckled, flicking Presley on the nose. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you understood every word I was saying."

"What's he talking about, Pres?"

The white tom chuckled. "He doesn't know I understand human-speak." He beckoned Victor closer with one paw. "C'mon, he's a nice guy...if I didn't know better, I'd say he was the human version of a Jellicle."

Reluctantly, Victor stepped within range of the youth's hands and clamped his jaw shut. His eyes widened in surprise as one hand ran from the tip of his nose, right down his arching back to the tip of his tail. "Whoa!"

"First time being petted, huh?" Presley smirked smugly. Victor nodded, pushing his head under Andy's hand again. "Why'd ya think I love bein' a house cat so much? I get petted like crazy all the time."

"Jammy git." Victor groaned, his back arching with pleasure.

* * *

"How are you feeling, Mattie?" 

"Shut up! Just fraggin' well shut up!"

"That good, huh?" Fawn smiled slightly. Mattie hissed feebly at her friend, panting. "Let me check his progress." Placing her hands on the base of the pregnant queen's abdomen, Fawn closed her eyes slightly. "He's in place, Matts..."

"He's been in place for the last five months!" Rocking back against Starcatcher, Mattie groaned, her toes digging into the pillow beneath her.

Khan was standing over them. "Is there anything I can do to be of assistance?" He asked, looking from the healer to Mattie.

"There's not much either of us can do, Khan." Fawn's paw ran over the tri-coloured queen's belly gently. "He's not in hurry to come out and see us." Mattie groaned again, her fingers contracting around her mate's. The Healer frowned slightly, looking up at the warlock. "I think he might be fighting against delivery...that's why Mattie's in so much pain."

The Himalayan warlock knelt down beside her. "May I look?"

"Mattie?"

"Sure...just make it wanna get outta me!"

Khan smiled slightly, placing his hand over the bowl of her pelvis. Closing his eyes, he felt a brush with the kitten's mind: warm, cosy, dark...

"It's nice out here, too, kitten." He murmured softly, his eyes still closed. Mattie exchanged a confused look with Fawn, who gestured for them to remain silent. The Himalayan's paw moved a little lower.

Projecting images of the happily smiling Mattie holding a kitten, embracing him, Starcatcher cradling them all and smiling down at them, the warlock felt a faint flicker in response from the little mind.

"He wants to see his mummy and daddy." He breathed, lifting his paw away.

Fawn gave the Himalayan's knee a squeeze, smiling slightly at him. "Let's deliver this kitten, boys and girls." She said, patting Mattie's thigh reassuringly. "It'll all be over soon and you'll have your son."

Panting, Mattie grit her teeth. "Okay...I'm ready..."

* * *

"What is this place?" Standing beside Andy's foot, Victor glanced over at Presley, who was grinning widely. They were standing beside a counter, where another human female stood, talking to a male over the counter. 

The walls were colourful, the bottom strip red, the top white. Pictures of strange-looking humans hung all over the walls, the seating around table matching the walls with the red leather covers. Several booths stood along the walls and by the windows.

The floor was a pattern of white and black squares, the colours reflecting off the metal of the stools along the counter and the tables. There was no wood to be seen everywhere. Victor was suddenly aware that the Pink Cadillac would look perfectly normal in this room.

Then, he saw IT.

So many colours!

Dropping on his haunches, he stared in awe at the...the...what was it? Like some kind of box, it had a domed top. Colourful tubes ran around the edge, a metallic grid over the front of the square part of the bottom of the box. It glowed and hummed, lights flickering all over it.

Presley shrilled a 'miaow!' and raced for the very object that Victor was staring at. For such a small tom, he scaled the huge block with remarkable ease, his paws skittering on the smooth surface. Coming to rest on the ledge at the top of the square part, he pawed at something Victor couldn't see from the floor.

"Pres, what is that thing?"

"Wait and see, my friend." The tom replied with a grin. "Wait and see."

Andy chuckled, walking towards the machine, one hand reaching into his pocket. "You want to choose again, eh?" Presley responded with another mew, gesturing for Victor to come over and see. "You wanna see too, puss?" Bending, he scooped up the startled Victor, cradling him as he would a baby. "Hel?"

"What is it?"

"Can the kitten choose the music?"

The portly woman behind the counter chuckled. "I suppose so, Andy. I'll bet you any money that he chooses something by Elvis."

"That's pretty much a given." Holding Victor with one arm, the young human dug into his pocket and withdrew something Victor recognised as a coin, some kind of trading chip of metal that humans seemed to like. Rising on his hind-paws, Presley pawed at Andy, mewing frantically, trying to reach the coin. "Oi! Cool it, little guy! I'm putting it in already."

"What're you doing, Andy?"

The dark-haired human looked over at the male leaning against the counter. "You're gonna love this, Tone." He replied, grinning. The man with white-blonde hair raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, this is priceless..."

The tabby in Andy's arms took the chance to look down at the ledge that Presley was standing on. A series of glowing buttons with symbols not unlike Khan's runes marked in black on them were positioned next to a narrow slot.

There was a semi-circle-shaped, clear window that looked right into the bowels of the machine, a long, spindly stick resting on what looked like a plate with a spike sticking up in the middle of it.

Andy had managed to maneuver his hand carefully past the bouncing, squealing Presley, pushing his coin into the slot. The white tom mewled in delight, turning to the buttons and smacking three in rapid succession.

"You ain't nuthin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time!" A voice bellowed out to a musical accompaniment. Victor flinched in surprise, scrabbling his way up to Andy's shoulder, peering over to search for the loud singer among the other humans. They laughed, pointing at him peeking over the youth's shoulder.

Turning his head, he came face-to-face with Andy who was looking amused. "I guess your friend hasn't seen a jukebox before, eh, Elvis?" He directed his question at Presley, but butted his nose gently against Victor's.

"Jukebox?" He looked down at Presley, then muffled a snort of laughter. The white tom was sitting on his haunches, rocking from side-to-side, his eyes half-closed and a lazy, Tugger-smirk on his face. "Hoi, Elvis!"

Blue-green eyes rose. "Yeah?"

"Wanna tell me what a jukebox is?"

Presley patted the machine. "Best thing in the world." He replied, still rocking in time to the music. "You put money in and it plays the music you choose. Human music only though, but still...they have Elvis!"

"Is it...dangerous?"

"This? Dangerous? Nah! It's fun!" Nodding to the top of the arch, he grinned. "Why not take a seat and watch the humans for a while? They can be pretty neat critters."

Wriggling out of Andy's arms, Victor leapt and landed on top of the jukebox, his feet skittering on the smooth surface. "Easy, kitt!" Catching the tom, Andy placed him on the top of the arch and chuckled as he lazily stretched along it.

"You got the boy eatin' out the palm of your hand." Presley noted with approval.

Victor just smirked, stretching out his forepaws and resting his chin on them.

* * *

"You all right?" 

Nicole looked up from her spot at the bottom of the steps of the Piccadilly bus. "Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, staring down at her feet.

Cheetera lowered the plastic sheeting she was using as a rain-cover and smiled slightly, sitting down on the step beside the red-gold queen. "You're on your own, Nic." She replied softly. "Star has Matt, I have Vic, Khan even has Star...and Topper has Fawn now..."

"Just...don't mention her."

"I thought you were friends."

The reddish queen sighed. "I don't know." She said sadly, looking down at her folded hands. "I thought we were...then she took my Topper from me..." Tears stung her eyes and she blinked uncomfortably. "He always was my Topper, y'know...we've always been together..."

"But you aren't going to fight her for him?"

Nicole's smile was tragic. "I'm being all sacrificial and stuff...I want the silly bugger to be happy and if she makes him happy..." She buried her face in her hands and started to sob, her shoulders shaking. "I-I feel like I'm l-l-losing my best friend."

"Awww, Nicci," Pulling the red queen to her, Cheetera hugged her tightly. "You're not losing a friend. Topper and you are always going to be friends, you know that." She rested her brow against Nicole's. "You can't get rid of him that easily."

"You really think so?"

Cheetera nodded. "You're his best friend...you and Presley..."

"Don't mention the white rat." Nicole shuddered.

The gold queen raised a brow. "He's cute."

"He's tiny!"

"He's a perfect example of good things coming in small packages."

"He's annoying!"

"He has a...er...unique personality."

"He's a tasteless, mentally unbalanced little freak with the brain power and appeal of a dried pea."

Cheetera cleared her throat and smiled slightly. "I'm getting this odd feeling that you really don't like our little Presley." She remarked, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I can't imagine where I got that idea from."

"What's to like?"

"He's sweet, he's funny, he's got a good sense of humour, he can out-talk Khan when it comes to big words, if he gets to annoying you could always squash him and..." She checked her mate was nowhere to be seen. "He's got a nice bum."

Nicole couldn't help smiling. "Anyone would think that you fancied him."

"And what if I do?" Cheetera smirked. The red queen gaped at her. "Hon, that boy would never be interested in me. Not in a million years. In fact, probably even more than that...he's only got eyes for one lady here."

"Yay! Lucky me!" Nicole scowled, jolting in shock at the screech that issued from the upper deck of the bus. "Ow...poor Mattie..."

"What's wrong with Mattie?" Cheetera nervously asked.

"She's in labour." The red explained.

Cheetera suddenly looked remarkably faint. "And she's screaming like that...oh Bast...what have I let myself in for?"

"That's what you get for having a mate." Nicole grinned smugly, butting her brow against the gold queen's. Cheetera whimpered. "Chee, you're gonna have an easy time. Have you seen the size of your mate compared to hers?"

A dirty grin crossed the gold queen's face. "Oh yeah..."

Nicole gaped at her again, then doubled over and giggled.

* * *

"So how long has it been empty?" 

Andy spun to a halt in the middle of the floor, the mop slapping loudly against his feet. Only one customer remained in the cafe, a friend of the young brunette from dance school. "The old bus yard?"

"You said a bunch pussies live there now...how long has it been left?" The blonde nodded, toying with his straw, swirling it around in his milkshake.

The dark-haired youth looked over at the two felines who were still perched comfortably on the jukebox. "They've been around there almost six months now, but before that...I don't even remember what was meant to be happening there...something was meant to be happening, but there were problems..."

"What are they talking about?" Victor reached down to swat at Presley's tail.

"The yard and why it's not been used for anything."

Victor cocked his head. "I thought it was like that cos no one could be bothered doing anything with it."

"Nah," Resting his chin on his paws, Presley smacked his lips, his tail curled around his body. "It used to be a building, when I was just a tiny kitten...they knocked it down and it's been the way it is, almost ever since."

"You mean there was a building there less that seven years ago?"

"Mmm-hmm." The white tom raised his eyes to the tabby leader. "I think the humans called it a...a...slaughter house." He scratched at his ear with a paw. "My old man was the cat that hung around there..." A note of resentment filled the small tom's voice. "He left before it was closed down."

Victor wrinkled his brow. "What's a slaughter house, Pres?"

"You know that humans eat dead cows and things?" The Leader nodded. "The slaughter house was where the living cows became the dead chunks for burgers and steaks and things like that."

"Meaning?"

"They killed the cattle in there." Tracing a claw across his throat, a shiver passed through him. "They'd bring in truck after truck full of cows here and send them into the slaughter house..." Presley shuddered with revulsion. "None of them came out...it stank so badly cos there was so much blood...even when the door was closed, it smelt vile."

Victor grimaced. "It sounds horrible."

"I went in once, before my dad...decided he wanted to move on." His voice was a dull monotone. "I watched them taking the cows in...they aren't smart, cows, but they knew something was wrong...you could see they were scared, but the humans there were real bastards...they forced all of the animals into a long passage...killed them one after the other...it took ages for some of them to die..."

"Did it hurt?"

"They were dying. What do you think?" Another shudder ran through the small tom. "They were bleeding to death, a lot of them...it was slow...others just wouldn't die...I saw a human just start hacking at one, because he thought it was dead and it screamed...it screamed and screamed and he kept hitting it with a square knife until it stopped..."

"Oh Bast..."

Presley laughed harshly. "She didn't help them." He said. "The other cows saw it happen...I saw them trying to back away, but they were being pushed forward...they knew that bad things would happen to them if they went forward, but there was no where else for them to go."

"Do you want to stop talking about this, Pres? It sounds horrible."

The white tom shrugged. "Might as well tell it all, since I've started, Vic. Anything you wanna know about life next door to Hell?"

"What did they do with them...the cows... afterwards?"

"You mean when they did actually manage to kill some? They butchered them...they had another bit of the building...they'd hang them on big hooks and chop them up...the whole place stank of blood...of death all the time."

The silver tabby shivered at the thought of dead, staring cattle hanging on metal hooks along a patch of wall. "And after it closed...?"

"It was flattened right away." He smiled slightly. "Bertie and Helen had always hated it, so they bought the land and smashed it down for the hell of it."

"Were they going to do anything with it?"

"It was gonna be made into a play place for human kittens." The white tom stretched out on the ledge he occupied, his eyes half-closed. "They brought in the machines and the crates and everything that's there now...but something happened...they stopped working...ran away from the yard...its been like it is now, ever since. Those trees grew since then as well..."

Victor rubbed his chin on his forepaws. "We need to tell Khan about all of that, Pres." He murmured. "He's been feeling something a bit spooky around the yard and it could be something to do with that."

"Wouldn't surprise me at all."

"But can we be petted again, before we go?"

Presley chuckled. "You're turning into a wussy house-cat, you!"

Victor hid his face behind a forepaw.

* * *

"Vic's back!" Nicole ran up the stairs of the Piccadilly bus, bursting through the curtains. Her face fell slightly at the sight of Topper and Fawn talking in whispers to one another, but she turned her gaze back to Mattie and Starcatcher. "He's on his way up." 

Mattie smiled tiredly. "Great." She was still leaning back against her mate's chest, his arms around both her and the small bundle she cradled against her breast. The kitten mewled, suckling contentedly.

"What I miss? What I miss?" The curtain flew back, Presley shoving his way passed Victor and bouncing down on his knees beside Mattie. "Holy moley! Matts! You shoulda warned me! I woulda delivered h...er...it!"

"Thanks for the offer, Pres, but I think I'm glad Fawn and Khan were here." She lifted the kitten away from her and unwrapped some of the blankets around his little body. "So, what do you think of him?"

Peering at the little black form, Presley's eyes shone, a dopey grin on his face. "He's perfect, Matts." He replied, touching the soft belly fur of the still-blind kitten. A tawny red patch masked his face in a similar style to his mother. A little black paw swatted at Presley, making him grin even more. "Whatcha callin' him?"

"Jupiter." Starcatcher replied quietly, pressing a kiss between Mattie's ears.

"Uh...huh..." Presley nodded. "Right..."

"It's cos he has a red spot, just like the planet." Starcatcher explained, reaching over to bat at Presley's quiff. "I think..."

The white tom looked from the face of the proud father to the happy mother. "C-can I hold him?" He asked, his voice shaking with barely-masked excitement. "I've never seen a real kitten before."

"Of course." Sitting up, Mattie leaned forward and carefully transferred the tiny tom kitten to the white cat's arms. Sitting back on his heels, Presley gently cradled the kitten with both arms, beaming happily.

The kitten belched quietly and curled against the thick, fluffy warm fur of Presley's chest. "I think I figured why you really called him Jupiter." He chuckled. "Because he's got a gassy atmosphere around him."

"Oh shut up." Starcatcher mock-glared at the smaller tom.

"Trust Pres to come up with an insult for the newborn." Topper sniggered.

Mattie squeezed Presley's knee. "You okay with him there?" Presley nodded, still staring – wide-eyed – down at the little form in his arms. The queen smiled, eyes full of exhaustion, and lay back against her mate's chest.

"All right, all right!" They heard Victor's voice before they saw him. "I'm coming! You can let go of my tail already!"

"But what would be the fun of that?" They heard the young gold queen murmur seductively, before the drapes flew open and allowed the grinning tabby to enter. "Mattie! Star! I hear that congratulations are in order!"

"Look, Vic!" Presley gestured with his head. "Look what I got!" The tabby peered over the tom's shoulder and chuckled. "Ain't he just the most cutest thing you ever saw...apart from me, of course?"

"Of course, Pres." Victor laughed, rounding him to bend and hug Mattie, then he clasped paws with Starcatcher, who was grinning widely, his white teeth flashing eerily in the black mask of his face. "Congratulations, both of you. The first parents of our tribe..."

Starcatcher kissed Mattie gently. "How'd you like that? We did something original for once?"

"Hon, what we did was by no means original...just ask Chee and Vic."

"Ask Chee and Vic what?" Presley cocked his head.

Victor looked at his mate. "You told the girls, didn't you, love?" She nodded, grinning guiltily at him. "Well, guys, Cheetera and I are going to be parents too...in about three months time if Khan is right..."

"Y-you mean you weren't just joking around when you mentioned kittens this morning?" The white tom gaped up at the leader. "You do know _I_ wasn't serious, right?"

Cheetera raised a brow. "Serious about what?"

Presley bowed his head, looking ashamed. "Chee...I...I'm having your mate's kittens..." He managed to keep a straight face a little longer than either Victor or Topper did, but that really wasn't saying much.

"I worry about you lot sometimes." Fawn remarked, shaking her head.

"And so you should." Topper murmured, wrapping an arm around her and nuzzling her throat.

Presley rolled his eyes. "Like, get a room people! There's innocent eyes here...okay, they might be blind but that's not the point, so just do like the Pres-man says and try not to ask questions that'll make me look dumb."

"Huh?"

"And there we have one of those questions that makes him look dumb." Nicole shot a dark look at the little tom, who flashed a broad grin in her direction. Part of her, though, was grateful that he had stopped Fawn and Topper flaunting their new relationship in front of her.

Shifting the sleeping kitten in his arms, Presley grinned dopily. "I gotta get me one of these things." He said, touching each little paw in turn.

"You wish, shorty." Topper grinned. "I can't see you as a father."

"Well, I can't see you having the brain-power to talk, but some miracles do happen!" The two toms exchanged mock growls, before cracking up again.

* * *

"Khan, can I have a word with you?" 

"You know that you do not need to ask, Leader." The warlock replied, joining the tabby at the top of the stairs. "What is concerning you?"

"Something Presley told me..." Gesturing for the Himalayan to accompany him, he walked down the stairs. "He told me the history of the yard...it was a slaughter house for the humans, a place where they killed animals to eat."

Detailing the story of the yard, as they walked, avoiding the puddles left from the rain earlier in the day, Victor noted the way Khan's normally-calm expression grew tighter and tenser with every word.

"You were correct to inform me of this, Leader." He said, when Victor had finally stopped talking, his hands folded behind his back. "I knew that there was something other-worldly overhanging this yard...the death and blood has stained the land..."

"Do you think there is anything that can be done about it?"

Khan shook his head. "I'm not nearly powerful enough to confront it. The only people powerful enough would be the dark twins or Nightchaser...and it has done nothing to really harm any of us, so I do not think we should make things worse for ourselves." "But it affects you?"

"It makes me feel somewhat uneasy, Leader. Nothing worse than that. I can bear it." He smiled slightly. "If things get worse, I will let you know." They came to a halt before the immense red brick wall. "Perhaps you should return to your mate, Leader. I know she is waiting for you."

The tabby touched paws with the warlock, then darted off towards the bus, leaving Khan gazing placidly up at the wall. A shrill, chilly wind whistled around him, stirring his mane around his face.

The tom nodded once, turning away, his hands folded behind his back. The wind roared dully in his ears, before trailing away to nothing.

Making his way back across the yard, the warlock glanced back at the wall once more, before ascending the step and climbing up the winding staircase of the bus. The bus was cosier than usual when he reached the infirmary level and closed the trapdoor over the stairs.

The new parents had decided to stay on the bus for a short time, until Mattie felt comfortable enough to move back to their attic area. Khan looked down at the couple, curled around their sleeping son's tiny form.

Nicole was asleep a short distance away from them, hugging the pillow her head was resting on, a colourful, patchwork blanket tugged around her for warmth and comfort. Khan smiled faintly. She and he had been sharing a sleeping place for several weeks now, both of them alone in the tribe.

Apparently Presley still spent his nights with the humans, something that Khan didn't entirely blame him for. With warmth, comfort and the only family he had ever known, the little tom was happy there.

Edging under the blankets beside Nicole, the warlock snagged a lump of pillow and yawned, punching it and resting his head on the fluffy mass. He felt Nicole shift behind him and her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Night, Magicka." She mumbled, ruffling his mane with one hand.

"Good night, Nicole." He replied, chuckling and reaching up to smooth his offended mane. It was going to take some getting used to – life in this tribe – but he had a feeling he was going to enjoy it.

* * *

Chronicler's Note

Hey all! Just me again! Thought I'd fill you in, my way. Lesse...we have a new midget in the tribe, but he's still bigger than Pres

(Pres here – I resent that!)

Ahem! Note to self - don't write the Chronicler's note when Presley is peeking over your shoulder. And Pres, buddy? You were meant to resent it, shorty. That's the whole fragging point of an insult.

Well, Matts and Star have provided us with kitt numero uno for the tribe, lil Jupiter. Chee and Vic are on the way to providing number two. Pres insists he's expecting Victor's, but somehow I don't think that's possible. For one thing, Cheetera never leaves Victor alone enough for him and Pres to have intimate time!

(Pres again! This guy is weird! Does the word 'sarcasm' mean nothing to him?)

Sarcasm? I have never heard of such a thing! Anyway, moving on to more of the Chronicler-stylee notes and stuff...Fawn's moved out of the Piccadilly bus and into my tree-house, which is pretty...cosy.

(In other words, he's gettin' laid!)

And I'm not going to kill that white toilet brush!

(You loves me, sweetie! You loves me!)

ANYWAY! Goldielocks is still having issues with things that died in the yard, which happened years ago according to the toilet brush. The humans apparently didn't like it much either. And that's about it for now.

And, oh yeah, Presley and Nicci, sitting in tree...she pushed him out and laughed! Hee hee!

(Sod off!)

Signing out,

Topper aka Ye Olde Chronicler

(And Presley! His innocent love-muppet!)


	6. Rusted Hearts

RUSTED HEARTS

By Rio

Storyline by Rio & Anna-Karin Larsson

Chapter Six - November

* * *

Despite the iciness of the morning, Khan was sitting on top of the Piccadilly bus, his legs crossed beneath him. Above him, the sky was a clear, cloudless blue, his breath escaping in little puffs of vapour.

His mind was as clear as the sky, his eyes lightly closed in silent meditation.

The rest of the tribe slept, the colours of the dawn still hanging on the horizon. A light breeze murmured around him, his mane brushing softly over his shoulders, his hands resting on his knees.

_Whatcha thinkin'?_

Blue eyes cracked open a fraction. _Nothing._

There was a long pause. _What's the point of that?_

_It's called meditating, Presley._ Closing his eyes lightly again, Khan drew a slow, controlled breath and released it.

_Why?_

_If you would let me get on with it, I would be much obliged._ The Warlock gritted his teeth, his calm shaken. _I will tell you what it is later._

There was a long silence and Khan managed a small smile. Returning to absolute calm, he moved his hands to rest in his lap, the scent of morning dew sweet and light, his breathing steady and calm.

_You finished yet?_

_Presley, please._

_I don't get the point of it, Goldielocks...sittin' up there with your eyes closed, thinkin' of nothin' for no reason..._

_One might think you would be used to that...but, no!_ The warlock sarcastically gasped mentally. _You do it with your eyes open twenty four hours a day!_

Presley chuckled in his mind._ I think you mighta just insulted me, Khan._ The warlock grit his teeth. _But your assumption is gravely confounding, while the implication of my simplistic cerebral activity may be nullified by the extemplerisation of verbal dysentery._

"PRESLEY! Get out of my fragging head!" On his feet in a blink, the warlock yelled at the top of his voice, clutching at his temples. A vivid flare of pale blue light exploded out from the warlock's body.

"Whu?" Three voices chorused from the bus below. Nicole scrambled up onto the box step and peered out at him. "Khan? Whatchoo yellin' about? You woke all of us..." A kitten's wail rang up. "Including Jupe...Mattie just got him to sleep."

"He-he keeps talking to me! He won't shut up!" Frantically staring at her, his hands still pressed to his temples, the Himalayan rocked back and forward on his toes. "Make him shut up! Make him shut up!"

Starcatcher's head popped up beside Nicole. "Who?"

"The damn toilet brush!" The warlock scanned around the yard, but the short, white tom was nowhere in sight.

_You can't see me! You can't see me!_

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Sparkles of white light flickered around the mystic tom's creamy-gold paws. _Do not anger me, Presley...it is not very wise..._

_Calm down, big guy!_ Presley seemed startled by the warlock's antsiness. _Sorry! I didn't realise this meditation stuff was such a big deal to ya..._

Rubbing his head, Khan released a sigh. _It keeps me calm, Pres. I need to do this_.

_Okidoke!_ The younger tom suddenly popped up from behind the curtains of one of the windows of the flat above the cafe. _Just as long as you tell me later what the big deal is about sittin' on the bus, lookin' like you're asleep and thinkin' of nothin'._

_You've got a deal, Pres._

_I'll stay outta your head._

_I really appreciate it._ A white paw made a gesture that looked like a thumbs up...only without a thumb. Khan couldn't help chuckling, then looked back at the faces of the two at the sunroof, who were staring at him, concerned. "I'm all right."

"You sure?"

The warlock nodded. "Positive."

"Well, thanks for waking us up for no reason at all." Nicole sighed, shaking her head. "Now I'm up, I'm just going to have to stay that way...oh yay. No more sleeping for Nici...Nope, the nutty warlock wakes her up at insane hours..."

Khan gave her an apologetic grin. "I will try to be more quiet next time, Nicole."

"Sure." She grumbled, plodding towards the stairs.

Turning back to his initial position, he closed his eyes lightly again and smiled a little. Life in the yard was certainly interesting.

* * *

Sitting on the step of the cafe, nibbling on some bacon rinds that had been left out, Nicole jumped with fright as the flap beside her clattered. A familiar off-white face poked through, flashing a mischievous grin at her.

"Morning, beautiful!"

"Get lost, shrimpy."

"Nice to see you too."

The red queen shot a glare at him. "What part of 'Get lost' don't you understand?"

"Babe, in case you'd forgotten, _you_ are the one sittin' on _my_ doorstep." He reminded her, smiling slightly. The smile wavered when she got to her feet and stalked towards the main part of the yard. "Gorgeous, please..."

"What do you want now?"

"What's so bad about me that you won't even talk to me?" He ran in front of her, staring up at her. Not even reaching her shoulders, height-wise, he was given a rather distracting view of her curvaceous body. "What have I done that makes you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you."

Presley raised a brow. "Beautiful, you coulda fooled me." She stared down at him and he shook his head with a sigh. "What's the deal?"

"I. Am. Not. Interested. In. You." She replied icily, her hands on her hips. "What do I have to do to make it clear to you, Presley? I don't know what else I can do to make my point. I. Don't. Want. You."

"I had got that, but what's to stop you bein' semi-nice to me?" He smiled winningly at her. "I can be a friend, ya know. I never said nothin' about bein' after you...well...that way."

Nicole threw her hands up. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

Stepping aside, Presley's shoulders sagged as she prowled passed him, her fists balled. He just couldn't win. No matter what he did, he just couldn't make her like him. She always treated him like he wasn't there.

Following her into the main part of the yard, he spotted Topper and Fawn descending from the tree house. The dark grey tom tackled the red-maned queen, both of them tumbling in a giggling heap on the ground, kissing one another between playful swats.

He almost collided with the back of the red queen. Nicole had stopped short as the new couple continued to tease one another and was slowly backing away when the grey tom looked up and waved at her, grinning broadly.

Nicole spun and fled, one hand rising to her nose to stifle a sob.

"Oh great!" Presley hissed at himself, looking from the couple to the red. Shaking his head, he ignored all his instincts to let her be and sprinted after her. She rounded the bus and disappeared out of the gate.

The small white tom anxiously looked back at the house, then resolutely followed her out into the busy streets outside.

* * *

"Go 'way..." Mattie grumbled as a foot shifted her pillow. "Sleepin'..."

"It's only me, love." Starcatcher bent and nuzzled her cheek. "I got you some breakfast. Do you want it just now?"

The tri-coloured calico stirred, blinking sleepily. "I'm awake...might as well have it now..." She struggled into a sitting position, trying not to disturb the kitten who was curled - asleep - in the crook of her arm.

"Here." Sitting beside her, the black tom helped her sit up, his arm around her. She smiled tiredly, laying her sleeping son gingerly down amid the large heap of pillows. He mewed softly, then gnawed on his fist and fell asleep again. "You okay?"

Mattie nodded. "I'm a bit sleepy." She admitted, rubbing her eyes.

"Hardly surprising." The huge tom smiled, laying the small dish of food down in his mate's lap, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I got what I could...some bits of meat and I know how much you like French fries..." He gave her a small grin.

"Oh, shut up, you." She smacked him on the chest with a chuckle.

Starcatcher snagged one of the fried chips of potato and offered it to her with a bow. "Your French fry, my lady."

"So you're my slave?" She murmured, raising her eyes to her handsome mate.

"Always, Matts."

Pushing the bowl aside, she turned into his muscular arms and pressed her mouth to his in a soft kiss. "In that case," She breathed, arching against his body. "You're going to do what I tell you to do, okay?"

"Yes, Mistress." He replied with a chuckle, nuzzling her neck.

* * *

"Gorgeous? Gorgeous, where are you?"

"Fragging hell! Why don't you just leave me alone?"

Peering around the scrapyard amid the piles of ruined cars, Presley frowned slightly. There was something in Nicole's voice that wasn't normally there. "This place ain't safe, Red. Why don't you come back to the yard? I'll leave you alone, I promise."

"Sod off."

"Nothing doing." Rounding one of the heaps of cars, he looked up and spotted her blur of reddish fur against the rust-stained metal of a large, pale blue Fiat. "Hon, what are you doin' up there?"

She shot a dark look down at him. "Leave me alone."

Scrambling up the heap of car wrecks and junk, he came to a halt on the hood of the car she was on and shook his head. "I'm not leaving you to wander around here, when you're in a bad mood. It won't be...fragging hell!"

Kneeling on her left leg, Nicole leaned forward defensively and tried to hide her right leg from his line of sight but it was too late. "Presley!"

"Oh Rumpus..." Pulling her hand aside, he bit his lip. "What did you do?"

"I slipped, okay? You were right. It was dangerous. I was stupid." She tried to yank herself free, wincing. Her right leg had sunk through a rusted gap in the hood, the sharp metal cutting into her thigh. "Don't just stand there. Help me get my leg out."

Grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her thigh, Presley was on his knees beside her in an instant, his brow knit with concern. "You're not movin'."

"Presley! What the hell do you think you're playing at! It hurts!"

Her leg had shifted in the struggle against the little tom and she felt a spread of warmth on her thigh. The white tom thrust his arm through a rusting crack beneath the one her leg was trapped in, his palm pressing down on the injury.

"Presley!"

"Nic, just shut up." For once, no pet names, no flirting. His voice was taut, more of a growl than spoken. He forced his arm further into the opening, ignoring the fur and skin ripping away from his limb.

She stared at him nervously. "What are you..."

His mouth pressed down on hers, catching her off-guard. Her eyes widened in surprise, her hands smacking against his chest. Presley took the chance while she was distracted to curl three fingers into the open wound in the queen's leg and she screamed in agony against his lips, jerking away.

"You...fragging...bastard..." She gasped, panting, the horrifying pain almost sending her into unconsciousness, her vision blurring with tears.

Holding her tightly, he bit back a groan, his arm throbbing. "Nic, I'm sorry." He breathed. "You had torn an artery...it was bleeding real bad..." He pressed his cheek against her mane. "I had to stop it and that was the only way."

"Y-you mean I could...die...?"

"Just stay calm, Nic." He murmured, pressing a comforting kiss between her ears. "You're not going to die. The mystics'll have you out of this in no time." Nicole was certain it had to be an illusion of pain, but Presley was being so...well...un-Presley-like.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered, shivering.

"You're one of the tribe, Nic." She felt his smile against her temple, his arm around her, holding her snugly against his warm chest. "You might think I'm an annoying git, but I'm not about to stand by and watch you kick the bucket." He chuckled softly. "Who would I annoy if you abandoned us?"

"Why not Vic...?" She suggested faintly, the warm solidity of his small body against hers not as repulsive or annoying as she imagined.

He chuckled. "I've got this thing about guys in power...they're just such an easy target." He tilted his head to look her in the eyes. "I like a challenge."

"Weirdo..." He nodded, then she realised something. "Pres! Th-they don't know where we are..."

"Oh crud..." He groaned. "You know Khan's gonna kill me for this, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hold on...I'll get Magicka."

Nicole clutched at his arm. "You-you're leaving me?"

"Nah, silly." He nuzzled her mane gently. "I can do the mind-talk thang...just wait..." He closed his lightly and blew out a quick breath. _Khan, you still there?_

_

* * *

_

The Warlock ignored the little voice in his mind. The yard was still silent and nothing would distract him, focusing on keeping his head clear and blank, but Presley didn't seem to be in the mood to be ignored.

_Khan_, Presley was all but screaming in his head, which made his ears twitch slightly. What was the fuss about? _If you're there, you better pray to Rumpus that I don't kill you when I see you for ignoring me!_

Blank.

His mind was blank and would remain so.

He would not let the little toilet brush get to him...

_FRAGGING HELL, KHAN! ANSWER ME!_

Standing up on top of the bus, Khan flexed his hands into fists slowly, then relaxed them. His blue eyes opened slowly, a low growl escaping him. _I am here, Presley_. He finally replied, gritting his teeth. _You better have a good reason..._

_No time for small talk, Khan._ There was no mistaking the apparent relief in Presley's mindvoice. _Nic's hurt. We need to get a healer. Now_. The Warlock jolted in surprise. _We're at the old car yard and Nic's bleeding badly. I mean, really bleeding badly. I don't want to worry her, but we need help bad._

The Warlock frowned. _What are you doing there?_

_Khan, just get the fragging healer here, now!_

Teleporting himself down to the main part of the yard, where Topper and Fawn were sitting, enjoying one anothers company, Khan hurriedly explained what had happened and took both of their paws to get them to the yard.

* * *

"They're on their way, Nic."

Blinking up at the blurry face above her, the red-gold queen cocked her head, smiling faintly at him. "You called me Nic..."

"At least I didn't call you toilet brush, Red." He teasingly nudged his forehead against hers. A soft laugh escaped her, her head resting against his chest. "Nicci, don't you go to sleep down there, hon..."

"But I...feel so sleepy..."

"Bollocks to that!" The white tom gave her a careful shake. "Nic, you have to stay awake! I can't let you go to sleep!" She mumbled a protest, her eyes sinking shut. Presley exhaled a quick breath. "Okay, Gorgeous, you asked for it."

His mouth sealed over hers again and she squeaked in protest, but he ignored her, holding her close. Chilly red paws swatted at him for several seconds, then he jolted in surprise as those slim arms slid around him.

He almost fell off the car in shock when she returned the fierce kiss, a shuddering purr of pleasure escaping him.

One creamy, leopard-spotted paw tentatively grazed up over her hip, tracing lightly up the contours of the red queen's ribs, timidly rising to caress the prominent swell of the purring queen's breasts.

Groaning against his lips, Nicole arched against him.

"PRESLEY?"

Breaking apart, they stared at one another for a long instant, the small tom's hand still lingering shakily on Nicole's heaving chest. Then, Presley looked away sharply and yelled. "Khan! We're up here!"

The triad of felines from the yard ran into their line of sight at the bottom of the heap and Presley waved with his free arm.

"They're here, Nicole." He breathed, glancing at her. "You okay?"

"Apart from being stuck with my leg in a hole in car? You bet I am!" She nodded gamely, a pained grin on her face. Khan and his two companions appeared on the car boot in a shower of white sparkles.

Moving behind the red queen, Fawn placed her hands on Nicole's shoulders. "How're you doing, Nicci? Not planning Pres' cold-blooded murder, yet?"

"She tried." The little white tom grinned impishly. "She couldn't reach me to shove me in the hole with her leg, though." Nicole looked over at him curiously and he winked at her, giving her knee a light squeeze.

The Healer touched beneath the red queen's mane and Nicole slumped back against her with a soft sigh, her eyes closed. Presley looked alarmed, but Topper patted him on the shoulder. "She's a healer, shorty. She knows what she's doing."

Khan was examining the rusted metal around the queen's trapped thigh. "How bad is the injury, Fawn?" He asked.

"She's lost a lot of blood."

"I told you that already." The white tom snapped irritably, watching Nicole's still face anxiously.

Khan raised a brow slightly. "Do you think you could close up the wound in the time it takes us to get rid of the metal around it, after Presley takes his fingers out of it?" He asked, probing the metal with his fingertips.

"I should be able to manage that." Fawn nodded, gritting her teeth, closing up the torn arteries as best she could.

"Topper, could you break away some of the flaking bits of metal if I soften them?"

The dark grey tom nodded. "I should be able to manage that." He moved a little closer to the unstable section of metal.

"What about me?" Presley demanded. "I want to help."

"Pres, you come here and hold Nicci." Fawn gestured for him to take her place. "This is gonna hurt her a lot, so try and hold her still." The white tom slid into her place, Nicole resting back against his chest, his arm around her.

"When I say, withdraw your arm from the hole, Pres." Khan ordered.

"You'll stop the bleeding, won't ya, Fawn?"

The red-maned queen nodded. "Just do what the Warlock says." She agreed, placing her hand at the top of Nicole's hip.

"On three..." Khan spread both his hands on the metal surrounding the queen's thigh. "One... two...three!"

Presley jerked his arm out so fast that deep runnels were torn into both sides of the limb, from elbow to wrist. Blood trickled down his white fur, but he didn't seem to notice, holding the red queen tightly against his chest, his face etched with concern.

Khan's face contorted in concentration, the metal seeming to bend as Topper heaved against it with his full weight. Nicole moaned, stirring, but Fawn touched her neck once again, then focused entirely on the ragged gash high on the queen's thigh.

Using her gift to seal off the arteries, she and Presley hauled Nicole back as the gap around her leg widened. As her foot was pulled free, both Topper and Khan sagged forward, panting from the effort.

Placing her hand over the wound quickly, Fawn gritted her teeth, her eyes closed as she drew the torn tissues swiftly back together. Within a few seconds, the bleeding slowed to little more than a trickle.

Drawing back from the unconscious queen, panting, the Healer looked down at the rest of Nicole's leg. The thick, luxurious red fur was plastered down against her skin with drying blood, but there seemed to be no other damage.

"She lost a lotta blood." She managed to breathe, rubbing her paws together.

"She gonna be okay?" Presley demanded huskily, the red queen still cradled in his arms, his eyes full of concern.

Fawn nodded. "She should be fine, when we get some fluids into her." She caught sight of the tom's arm. "Pres! Are you okay?" Leaning forward, she caught his wrist. "That looks like a pretty bad cut."

"S'nothin'." The little tom shook his head, pulling his arm back. "Can we just get Red, here, back to the yard, please?"

Topper glanced at the warlock. "Teleporting would be quicker, but do you think it would be safe for her when she's this weak?" Khan shook his head, biting his lip. "Right. I'll carry her back. You just get Fawn and Pres to the bus and get the place ready for her."

"Want me to wake her, so she can hold on?" Fawn asked.

"Probably safer." Topper agreed. His mate touched the red queen's neck lightly and Nicole stirred, moaning softly. "Hey, Nicci." She smiled faintly. "Okay, you guys, get going. I'll be along in about five minutes."

The three vanished and Topper carefully scooped his friend up in his arms. Arms around his neck, she laid her head against his shoulder.

Descending the junk pile rapidly, sure-footed as ever, he flashed a grin down at her. "How are you feeling, Nic? Ready to kill Pres?"

"Yeah..." She murmured distractedly. "I'm tired...really tired..."

"Hardly surprising." He chuckled, jogging towards the main gate of the junkyard. "Oh, this is gonna be fun...Nic, we gotta cross a street. It's not busy, but there are a few humans about. Can you walk or shall I carry you?"

"I don't think I could stand, Top...sorry..." She shifted into housecat form.

"Piggy back time, then?"

The red queen laughed tiredly. "Still think you can manage?"

"You're as light as a feather, Nic." He changed form, then bent to let her lie over his back. "Oh, Bast, Nic! You've piled the weight on!" He pretended to collapse, grunting with the effort of standing. The red queen swatted his ears with a grumble. "Kidding, mate!"

Darting across the street, Topper swung her back around into his arms as they entered the long alley that led the way down to the back gate of the cafe and the bus lot, the light dim enough to hide them from human eyes.

"Top..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you and Fawn...happy?"

He grinned. "Yeah. She's one of the best queens in the world."

"Oh."

"Is that what you ran away from us for, earlier?" Looking down at his friend, his brow knit in concern. "Because you didn't want to see Fawn with me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." She mumbled, looking away. Topper coughed, raising his brow. The red queen groaned. "Okay, yeah. I'm jealous." Still holding onto him as he walked through the alleyway, she pressed her cheek against his chest. "It...it's just that you and I...we've always been together, haven't we? Now you have someone and I don't..."

Topper butted his brow against hers. "Nic, you're my best friend. You'll always be my best friend, you know that. And you don't have to be on your lonesome cos I know for certain that there's a tom who is very interested in you."

"Yeah..." She mumbled. "Short, white and annoying."

"You think so?"

The red was about to retort, when she paused. Did she think so? The Presley she had seen today was nothing like the little white tom that had been annoying her ever since he had joined their little tribe.

Topper chuckled, hugging her closer as he jogged on, towards the yard.

* * *

"Sorry guys!" Flushed pink beneath his fur, Presley was the first of the newly arrived trio to dart through the curtains. Fawn clapped a paw to her mouth and swiftly followed, dragging the gaping Khan with her.

Blinking, Mattie looked from the curtains to her mate above her and laughed. "Well, that was romantic, wasn't it?"

"You know, love," Nuzzling her cheek softly, her mate said. "I think it's about time we moved back into our own home." He tutted in mock-annoyance. "You just can't get anything done around here."

Mattie smiled. "I think I agree..." They broke away from one another as Jupiter stirred and started to wail amid the blankets. "You want to go and get the house sorted out while I feed Junior, here?"

Lifting her paw, he pressed a kiss to her palm. "We'll finish what we started later, love." He purred against her paw, making her shiver. "I promise."

Ducking through the drapes, his exit happened as Topper ran in, Nicole in his arms. "Hiya, Matts." He flashed a winning grin at her, as she lifted her son to her breast, pulling her legs out of the way of the dark grey tom.

"Nicci? What happened?"

"Fell down." The red queen mumbled, as Topper knelt and laid her on one of the pillows, sliding his arms out from beneath her. "Thanks Top..." He ruffled her mane, then stepped aside to let his mate and Khan approach.

Fawn moved around to the opposite side of the pillow and touched the red's shoulder. "Nic, I've healed up the wounds, but you're going to have to rest and drink a lot to make up for the blood you've lost."

"I get to sleep?" A small smile played on the red queen's lips. "Y'hear that, Khan? No more wakin' us at stupid times..."

"I will try to remember that, Nicole." He chuckled, kneeling by her side. "But, for now, is there anything I can do for you?"

A shiver passed through Nicole and she nodded. "Get me somethin' to keep me warm, pretty please?" She whispered softly, groping around for the blankets she normally used. "I'm feelin' frickin' freezin'."

"Yo, Goldielocks." Presley pushed through the curtains. "Warm this up for me." He proffered a little bowl full of milk. "Not too hot or it'll get all lumpy and gross and stuff." Khan nodded, gazing at the cup. "Thanks, buddy." He moved to the head of the pillow. "Hoi, lazy, sit up! I got you something to drink."

"Shut up." Nicole didn't look at him, sitting up unsteadily. To her surprise, he slipped an arm around her shoulder to hold her upright and held the cup to her lips for her. "You're just takin' advantage of me cos I can't hit you." She mumbled, before sipping at the warm liquid.

He chuckled. "You know me so well, Red." He replied, pulling a blanket up around her with his other hand. "Fawny, babe. Can you get some water to clean off the blood on Red's leg? I know you can't see it, but I wouldn't want her stinkin' now, when she looks so pretty and everything."

"Okay." The healer darted off, the dark grey tom following her through the drapes. Khan squeezed Presley's shoulder gently, then exited as well.

Resting against Presley's chest, her eyes half-closed, the red queen sipped at the warm milk in the small bowl. The woolly blanket tucked around her shoulders was snug, but somehow, leaning against his chest was that little bit snugger.

"Thanks, Presley." She whispered, raising her eyes to his blue-green ones and receiving a small smile in return.

"No worries, Nic." He replied, laying aside the empty bowl and tugging the blankets completely around the queen in his arms. Tucking them up to her chin, he let his fingers brush lightly over the soft fur of her cheek. "Sleep well."

There was a mumbled response that sounded like assent, but her head lolled against him and a mewled snore escaped her.

"And she doesn't like you." Mattie noted with amusement, lifting Jupiter to her shoulder and rubbing his back gently.

Presley looked over at the tri-coloured queen with a smile. "I got her in my arms, so I'm not complainin' about what she thinks of me." His fingers brushed through her mane tenderly and he sighed. "Hope she's okay."

"She will be, short stuff." The queen reassured him. "But, for now, I'm going to let you be with you lady-friend." She rose, Jupiter chewing contentedly on her shoulder fur. "If anyone asks, Star and I have gone home and...uh...we're otherwise engaged." "Gotcha." Presley winked at her, grinning.

"Don't you give me that look, my boy!"

He feigned innocence. "What look?"

"Oh, just shut up!"

Presley turned back to Nicole, chuckling softly. Mattie scowled at him in mock-annoyance, pushing through the drapes and letting them flap back down. "Have fun, Matts." He murmured after her retreating back. "I know I will."

* * *

"Are you sure it's a good idea leaving them alone, together?" Fawn looked up at the bus.

Topper smiled slightly. "I think its the best idea I've had for a while, y'know."

"And that's meant to be comforting?" His red-maned mate shrieked in fright and annoyance, as he splashed a handful of near-freezing water from the rain barrel at her. "Topper! Look at me! I'm soaked!"

"Never seen you looking better, Fawn." Her murmured huskily.

Khan raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up from the small basin of water he was heating for Presley. "Would you mind...uh...how would Presley put it again? Would you mind finding a room, people?"

"Now _that_ is scary!" Topper grinned. "Khan doing an impression of Pres..."

"He has impersonated me of frequent occasions. I believe I have earned the right to badly imitate him."

Fawn chuckled, looping her arms around Topper's waist. "You might badly impersonate him, Khan, but his impression of you is exactly spot-on."

The warlock suitably offended, fluffing his mane. "I," He said, raising his chin proudly. "Am going to take this water up to the toilet brush. You will excuse me if I never talk to any of you humourless cretins ever again."

"Oh Rumpus! I think Khan's actually getting used to life in the yard!" The Healer hissed to her mate, loud enough for the warlock to hear her. He didn't look back, but he raised one hand behind his back and made a rude gesture with his fingers.

Fawn gasped, gaping at him. Topper blinked, his mouth opening and shutting in soundless astonishment. Looking back over his shoulder, Khan's lips rose in a smirk, his hooded blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Did you see...?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Can you believe...?"

"Uh-uh..."

"Think we're dreamin'?"

Fawn glanced at him. "Only one way to be sure..."

"OW!" Rubbing his pinched rear, Topper turned his dark gaze to the red-maned queen. "I'm gonna have to avenge my arse's honour now, Fawny..."

"No! You don't have to! Really!" Raising her hands to fend him off, the Healer backed away, squealing. "I'll apologise nicely!" The tom lunged at her and she span, shrieking, and ran towards the trees. "Topper!"

Laughing madly, the dark grey tom broke into a sprint, his paws outstretched. "You can run, love, but you can't hide!"

* * *

Propped up by masses of pillows, Cheetera pouted at her mate. "You're not going to let me do anything, are you?"

"Nope!" Flopping down on the blankets, Victor's head came to rest in her lap. "You're with kitten and I'm not about to let you go running off, putting yourself in danger and knocking the buses over with your belly."

"Oi!" She whacked him over the head with a pillow. "I'm not that big!"

He grinned impishly at her. "Yet!"

"Victor!" She wailed, flinging her paws over her face. "You're meant to be nice to me and everything when I'm pregnant!"

Her mate cocked his head. "I am? Huh...who said such a stupid thing?"

She glared at him. "That's what you told Starcatcher, when Mattie was expecting Jupiter."

"Huh!" Ignoring her, he shook his head. "Who would say such a stupid thing?" He promptly received another pillow firmly in the face and yelled indignantly. "Hey! What did I do to deserve that, then?"

"Um...we're not interrupting, are we?" A colourful face peeped through the trapdoor that blocked the lower levels.

Cheetera swatted at her mate. "Not at all, Mattie." She wriggled passed him to go and open the doorway, letting the couple clamber through. Starcatcher had their son cradled against his chest and was smiling broadly.

"How are you feeling?" The tri-coloured queen embraced the younger gold.

"Like I want to strangle my mate." Cheetera returned sweetly in Victor's direction. "He can't seem to understand that I'm not made of glass."

Victor gave her a hurt look. "But you are!"

"Er...did you hear about Nicole?" Starcatcher put in, trying to stop Cheetera from lunging at her mate and battering him with a pillow.

"Nic? What's she been up to now?" Victor grinned. "Tried to ravish Presley and killed him by giving him a heart attack?"

The other couple exchanged glances. "I thought Khan or Pres or someone would have told you..." Mattie said, frowning with her brows. "Nicci ran out of the yard this morning and ended up getting herself badly injured..."

"Rumpus!" Victor was on his feet in an instant, but Starcatcher's massive arm came out and halted him before he could reach the stairs. "What are you doing? I should go and check that she's okay!"

Mattie shook her head, smiling slightly. "You won't be going in that bus any time soon." She said softly, taking her son from her massive mate.

"Huh?"

"Khan said that he was going to enclose the bus in some kind of protective layer, to let her get some peace and quiet." Starcatcher explained, exchanging an enigmatic look with Mattie, who chuckled softly.

"But surely it would be better if she had someone with her..."

Again, Mattie smiled. "Oh, she has someone with her..." She made a show of rocking Jupiter, ignoring the Leader and his mate's curious looks. "Oh...you want me to tell you who?"

"Well, since we're here, its none of us...it wouldn't be Presley..." Mattie snorted and Victor gaped at her. "Oh no...you've left Nicole and Presley on the other bus together? With no one to stop her killing him?"

"She won't kill him." Starcatcher reassured the tabby. "She's barely conscious."

Victor groaned. "Oh, that's a major comfort."

* * *

"What's goin' on out there?" Presley looked up as Khan entered, carrying a small basin of warmed water and several strips of cloth salvaged from Helen's sewing box in the flat above the cafe.

Khan chuckled. "Fawn and Topper." He said by way of explanation. The white tom shook his head, smiling.

"Young love, how adorable." Gesturing for Khan to leave the basin and cloths with him, he blew out a sigh and turned back to the sleeping red queen. The Himalayan nodded and slipped out of the curtained-off area.

"Look after her, Pres."

The white tom looked back over his shoulder. "You know I will, Khan."

Laying Nicole down gently, he carefully pulled the blankets away from her injured leg. Dipping the nearest cloth into the warm water, he lifted her leg into his lap and carefully started to sponge the dried blood off.

"Mmm?" Stirring, the queen's sleep-misted eyes turned towards him. "Pres... whatchoo doin'?"

"Just relax, Nicci." He reached over, squeezing her hand. "Cleaning you up a bit. Can't have you leaving blood all over the place, can we?"

"Mmm." She let her head roll to the side, apparently asleep again.

Presley smiled, stroking her slender fingers gently, before turning his attention back to her leg. He continued to sponge the blood that was crusting her fur gently, tirelessly. It took him almost an hour of gentle touches until her leg was clean and she still slept, her head pillowed on her arm.

"All done, Nicole." He said softly, tucking her within her blankets again.

Moving up to sit at her head, he traced her cheeks with light fingers. A soft sigh escaped her, ruffling the fur of his hand. A small smile crept onto his lips, the corners of his eyes crinkling with pleasure.

"You're so fraggin' beautiful, Nic." He whispered, bending over the sleeping queen, gazing down at her face. She mewed in her sleep, rolling onto her back, a contented smile tugging the corners of her lips up.

Looking up at the drapes, the white tom seemed to deliberate over something for several minutes, then came to a decision.

Lowering his head, Presley touched a feather-light kiss to her lips. His brow touching hers lightly, he closed his eyes. "I love you, Nicole." He whispered, unnoticed tears breaking from the corners of his eyes and tracking silently down his cheeks.

As the day lengthened into a dark winter night, he moved to sit against the wall at the end of the pillow that her head was resting on, one hand caressing her mane. She only stirred briefly, accepting some water and a few bites of food gratefully, before sinking back down.

"Sleep well, beautiful." He whispered, never taking his eyes from her face, his hand gently stroking her mane as she slept.

* * *

Chronicler's Note

You're not going to believe this! We went in to see if Pres and Nic were still alive the night after Nicci's accident and they both were! She was still asleep and he was sitting there, eyes like Rumpus, watching her. I don't think the daft sod had slept all night. He ran off as soon as we got there, though. I really don't get that guy, sometimes.

Anyway, Nic's fine, but still really tired. I dunno if that's what making her so quiet, but I keep finding her sitting and staring at nothing. She and Presley haven't spoken to each other since he left the bus, not even to hurl insults at each other, which is well weird.

Lesse...what else is happening...nothing much really. Pres gave me the guided tour of the human house. I don't have to tell you how weird that was! He showed me something they call a toy-lit...that thing has to be some kind of torture device!

I was looking in it, trying to figure out what it did, when this freezing, bloody, great, big waterfall came out of nowhere and almost knocked me in! Presley was playing with a silver pedal on it and laughing at me. I still don't get what was so funny about it.

We nabbed some old stuff from the house to take out to the yard, mainly some old clothes that are such horrible colours I can see why the humans wouldn't wear them. Presley's sneaked out some pillows as well, although how he managed at his height musta been kinda funny to see. I know I woulda paid to watch.

Gotta sign off, though. Got me a rather delicious red-maned distraction sitting in my lap and its kinda hard to make notes when she's playing with your...er...tail.

Topper, aka Ye Olde Hornye Chroniclere.

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	7. Love Me Tender

LOVE ME TENDER

By Rio

Storyline Rio, Anna-Karin Larsson & Cheetera

Chapter Seven - December

* * *

"I feel like the back end of a bus."

Victor chuckled. "Nah, love." He said, rising and rubbing the wall behind her. "That feels like the back end of a bus. " Bending to nuzzle between her ears, he purred huskily. "You feel like my delectable little Cheetera."

Pulling his mouth down against hers, she kissed him softly. "You always know what to say to make feel better." She murmured.

"I try." His hand stroked over the swell of her belly. "Just think...soon, we'll have our little kitten with us...one crazy, happy family." She nodded, pressing her hand over his. Raising his other hand to caress her face, he tilted his head. "Are you sure you'll be all right if I go?"

"You're only going to be a couple of hours, right?"

"I should be." He nodded. "I just want to check that Seb's okay."

Fluffing the pillow behind Cheetera's head, Fawn raised a brow. "What happened to Seb?"

The Leader and his mate exchanged glances. "Do you remember at the gathering a few months ago, Seb was talking to that black and white queen with the hyper kitten?" Fawn nodded, smiling. "Oh Rumpus...what was her name again?"

"Domino and little Phoenix. I helped to deliver her."

"That's the one. Khan just got a message from the warlocks. Phoenix was kidnapped." The Healer started in shock. "She's all right." The tabby reassured her hurriedly. "The thing is, Seb has been spending a lot of time with her and her mum." He smiled slightly. "He, Quaxo, Shadowdancer and Domino were the rescue party."

Cheetera accepted a thimble full of water, sipping it. "I knew this part." She commented, her hand stroking over her belly. "Who was the kidnapper? Did any of them get hurt when they were doing the rescue?"

"I'm afraid so." Khan appeared in a shower of sparkles, making Cheetera squeal and spill her drink and Fawn clutch her chest in fright.

"I wish you wouldn't do that!" The gold queen hurled a pillow at the warlock's head. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

The creamy warlock smoothed his mane. "I was talking with Nightchaser. He was rather concerned about Lady Domino. Apparently she took a beating and some severe sexual abuse to pose as a distraction so the toms could find her daughter."

"Seb let that happen?" Victor looked startled.

"Sebastian did not have a choice in the matter. She chose to save her daughter in that way and..." Khan lowered his eyes. "She had a confrontation with my sister. She and Macavity were mentally tormenting Phoenix, threatening to give her to the Enforcers. Domino battled Ivy, both of them getting severely injured."

Fawn bit her lip nervously. "Is she okay, though? Domi, that is..."

"They returned last night and she did not have the strength to walk, but the Healers have done what they could." He looked at Victor. "Apparently the Enforcers snatched the kitten from just outside their home, on the outskirts of the yard. Sebastian has made it his duty to protect them and they are staying with him now."

The Leader's mouth opened and shut several times. "Uh...rewind...you're saying that Seb is letting a queen share his crate? By choice? Without being forced or asked nicely?" Victor narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you sure you're talking about the right Seb?"

"He told Lady Domino that she would be staying in his home with him." Khan replied, almost smiling at the Leader's startled tone. "He carried both the queen and her daughter up to it, brooking no refusal."

Rising, Victor moved to Khan's side. "You're taking me to him, Khan." He said softly. "Now."

"Very well." The warlock replied, waiting patiently while the Leader bent to kiss his mate. "I'm sure he will be pleased to see you."

"You look after my girl, Fawn." Victor said to the Healer, before he and the warlock vanished in another shower of sparkles.

Cheetera accepted the refilled thimble and shook her head. "See." She grumbled, dipping her finger into the water and tracing patterns on the fur of her cheeks. "He treats me like I'm a kid or something." Adding water eyebrows, she looked at the smirking Fawn. "I mean, do I act like a kid? Do I?"

"Do I have to answer that honestly?"

Another pillow sailed through the air with remarkable accuracy and smacked the Healer in the face, reducing her to another fit of laughter.

* * *

"Um...Topper, have you seen Presley?"

The dark grey tom looked down from his spot on top of the fence. "Nicci?" He gaped at her in astonishment. "You're looking for Pres? Okay, girl, what's wrong with you? You're not going to kill him are you?"

"Don't be stupid." She glared up at him, arms folded defensively. "I never got round to thanking him for what he did last month."

"You mean the whole saving-your-life thing?" The red queen looked down at her feet and nodded mutely. "Well, I can see why you might wanna say thanks and everything. Took you a while to get..."

"Top, just tell me where he is or shut up."

"He's in his jukebox."

The red nodded, sighing. "Okay. Ta." Turning, she walked away from the dark tom, her tail swaying from side to side.

Rounding the Cadillac and passing the crates, she arrived at the Jukebox that Presley had claimed as his home the previous week. Several days after her accident, the old Jukebox from cafe's basement was put in the yard, because Presley's owners had noticed how much the cats loved the one in the cafe.

After hollowing it out and getting rid of all the wiring and cables, leaving the front with a hinge door, it had been lugged out into the yard by Andy and Bertie. Presley had almost broken his neck in his enthusiasm to get inside it when they were still carrying it.

It had been placed alongside the crates, parallel to the Victoria bus, and she was now standing right outside the door, her heart pounding hard against her sternum. Why was she nervous? It wasn't like she had ever told a tom that she might, maybe, possibly, perhaps be in love with him before.

Or maybe she was crazy and that gentle, careful tom who had looked after had been a figment of deranged and in-agony imagination.

Nervously tapping at the door, she swallowed hard. "Presley?"

"Yo! Enter the love shack!"

Unhooking the door, she peered in. The small white tom was adjusting pillows and some scraps of Helen's unfinished patchwork quilt around the floor, the walls draped with dark red fabrics for insulation. "Um...hi..."

"Gorgeous! Long time, no see!" Gesturing around the interior, he grinned. "So...whaddya think? Is it in my colours?"

"It's...uh...its nice." Rubbing her paws together nervously, she cleared her throat. "Presley, there's something I-I-I need to talk to you about."

A handful of small nails in his mouth, he nimbly scrambled up the wall of the box and started pinning a loose flap of fabric down. "Talk away, beautiful." He said cheerfully, winking down at her. "I'm all ears."

"Um...I don't know where to start...you remember last month?"

"Which part?" Unseen, he swallowed hard, his expression tensing. "I did a lot of things."

Nicole started pacing back and forward across the floor. "The thing with the car...do you remember that?"

"Uh...you...trapped leg...?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded, gritting his teeth, wondering when he was going to get yelled at. "I-I-I can't remember much of what happened that day...but I do remember that you..." She cleared her throat. "Um...you kissed me."

Feigning indifference, he looked down at her. "And?"

"And...um...what did you do it for?"

"Babe, you weren't about to fight me, were ya?" He grinned devilishly down at her, hoping it would be enough to appease her and stop her from hitting him. "It was just a kiss...bit of a let down too, if ya know what I mean."

One shaking paw half-rose to her nose and she stared up at him. "Wh-what?"

"Hey, if you were dyin', I couldn't let you do it without havin' a taste of what you passed on, could I?"

"So that's the only reason that you did it?" She hissed. "Because you wanted to do what you could never when I was conscious?" The shock and pain of his blunt words was rapidly giving way to anger.

He shrugged, fighting down the urge to beg for her forgiveness for his actions. "Sure."

"You stinking son of a pollicle!" She hissed, growling up at him. "I thought maybe I'd been wrong about you, but I guess I wasn't..." Turning, she pushed her way out of the jukebox. "I hate you, Presley." She snarled back at him, slamming the door closed.

The small white tom stared after her in horror. "Oh Rumpus..." He whispered to himself. "What did you just do, you idiot?"

* * *

Tapping on the flap that made up the door of Sebastian's home, Victor shifted on the balls of his feet. There was no answer from within the box, though everyone said that none of the little trio living there was out.

After spending almost an hour talking with Munkustrap about the tribe, he had decided it was time to pay his friend a visit. He glanced at the horizon, the darkening golds suggesting that the sun would soon be disappearing.

Glancing around, the tabby tom lifted the flap and peered into the box, his eyes widening at the sight before him. Sebastian was lazing on his back, propped with pillows, Phoenix curled in a sleeping ball on his chest. Her mother was pressed close to Sebastian's side, one of her slim legs crossed over his.

"Ahem?"

Sebastian's dark eyes opened lazily, a smile crooking up the corner of his mouth. "Come in, Vic." The deep rumble of his voice apparently woke the kitten on his chest and she uncurled, stretching out, then spotted the tabby.

"Unca Vic!" She shrieked, using Sebastian's muscled stomach as a springboard to launch herself into the tabby's arms. Victor barely managed to catch her, tripping over and landing on his rear in the process, the kitten giggling.

Sebastian rubbed his belly with a lop-sided grin. "Phee, next time, keep the claws in."

"Wh-what's going on?" Domino stirred by his side, one of her hands spread on his chest. Her eyes found Victor and she started in surprise, then relaxed back down against Sebastian, his arm around her shoulder. "H-hi, Victor."

Wrestling himself upright and carefully depositing Phoenix on his lap, he gave the two black and whites a smile. "So how long have you two been...snuggling?"

"W-we're not!" Jerking away from the huge tom, Domino's ears went flat. Sebastian shot a half-aggravated look at Victor, then sat up, opening his arms. The patched queen looked from him to the tabby, then edged back into his arms. "S-s-sorry."

The Heathrow Tribe's Sentinel stroked her mane gently, looking over at the tabby. "We had a bit of a bad day, yesterday, Vic."

"So I heard." The Leader replied softly.

"The nasty cats took me away from my mummy and Bastian." Phoenix said seriously from his lap. "Mummy kicked the nasty lady's tail and Bastian helped." She pointed to a small cut over her eye. "That was where the nasty lady hit me."

"I h-hit her back for th-that." Domino stammered. "I hope that sh-she-pollicle s-scars."

Sebastian chuckled, a deep rumble. "I would be surprised if you didn't leave her marked for life, Mino." He said softly, lifting the queen's face to his with a fingertip, their eyes locking. For an instant, Victor thought the Sentinel was going to kiss the pretty queen, but he settled for stroking her cheek.

The Leader ran his hand over Phoenix's mane, then inquired. "Seb, any clue when you'll be coming back to our yard?"

Domino jolted upright, staring at the huge black and white. "Y-you're going away?"

"No, Mino. I'm not going anywhere for now." Again, their faces came closer, before they both looked away. "Victor, you remember what I told you?" The tabby nodded. "When I'm ready, I will come back to the yard."

Phoenix looked from her mother to the tom. "Are we coming too?" She asked, scrambling over to settle in her mother's lap.

"W-would you like that, Phee?" Domino asked, staring up at Sebastian.

Hopping easily into the huge tom's lap, she nodded. "I wanna stay with Bastian." She reached up and clawed at his nose. "He's a good pillow..." Sebastian growled playfully, snapping at her hands. "And a big, growly pillow." She giggled, jumping up to kiss his nose.

"Looks like you have an adoring public of one." Victor chuckled, as Phoenix clambered easily up onto the tom's shoulders.

"O-of two." Domino corrected shyly, raising her eyes to Sebastian's again. Their lips were barely millimeters apart, but in the same instant, they both seemed to settle for brushing their cheek against the other's.

Coming to rest with her head against Sebastian's shoulder, the black and white queen smiled, her arm around his body.

"You know, I really don't get you two, sometimes." The tabby chuckled.

"Well, whatever it is you don't get..." Sebastian's hand ran down Domino's back and she sighed softly. "Please tell no one until we're ready to tell them ourselves. We get enough of the nods and looks already."

"H-he's Mister Broody and Lurky." The queen said softly. "And I-I-I am the one no one sneaks up on f-f-for fear of s-scaring me." She smiled up at Sebastian. "W-we're the two p-people no one goes near...we-we're not meant to-to b-be able to m-make f-friends."

Victor chuckled. "And people think you don't know this?"

"Hey," Sebastian chuckled again. "When you lurk and hide as much as we do, you turn out to be pretty good at the spying thing."

"I'll make a note of that." Victor laughed. "Now, can I possibly drag the three of you out for something to eat? Sunny's been lurking outside, waiting to see that you're all right and that King-Size white kitten was looking for Phee."

Phoenix pulled a face. "Snowie! He fights dirty!"

"Actually, Phee, you fight dirty." Sebastian remarked. "He only ever wins because he's double your size."

"I'm gonna beat him today!" The Princess barreled out of the doorway and shrieked. Her mother and Sebastian exchanged looks and followed, stopping short as they watched Snowdancer and Phoenix tumbling end over end towards the ground.

"Of course she's going to win." Victor said dryly.

* * *

"Which way did she go?" Presley grabbed Topper by the chest fur, as the larger tom was passing him towards the trees.

"Huh?"

Presley shook his head, still clutching Topper's fur. "I just did the stupidest thing possible, Top. I need to find Nicci." The bleak expression on the white tom's face told the grey that he was serious. "Where did she go?"

"I think I saw her heading to Vic's bus, since no one is there now...want me to go and talk to her for you?"

"No. I have to do this myself. I was the biggest idiot in the world and made her feel like a worthless piece of rubbish so I have to deal with the consequences." He drew a slow breath, setting his jaw. "She deserves an apology."

Topper squeezed his shoulder, watching the small white tom cross the yard towards the Victoria bus. Presley looked back once, then made his way up the stairs. Reaching the top, he pushed against the trapdoor, but it didn't budge.

"Right..." Descending the stairs, he made his way to the front of the bus and climbed into the cab, to squeeze through the hidden passage into the upper level. Emerging in Sebastian's unused sleeping area, he crossed the floor and shakily pulled back the drapes.

Nicole lay on her belly on the Leader's empty pillow heap, sobbing painfully. Her face was buried in her slim arms, her shoulders shaking.

"Nicci?"

She whirled around, on her feet in a blink, advancing towards him dangerously, her claws sliding out. "What the hell do you want? Had to come and laugh, did you? Had to come and see what you reduced me to?"

"N-no..."

"What then? Come to insult me more? Come to rub salt in the wounds, huh?"

Backing away from her, he stared at her pain-streaked face. "I wanted to say I'm so..."

"Don't even try it!" Slamming his against the wall, her claws at his throat. "If Topper told you to come and say you were sorry, I don't want to hear it."

Presley shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "H-he didn't send me, Nicci." He whispered shakily. "He doesn't know what happened...I want to apologise myself. I want to apologise for being an arse..." He lifted one paw and pressed hers closer to his throat. "I never wanted to make you cry, Nic. Never. You should kill me for that...I was too stupid..."

The tips of her claws raised pinpricks of crimson on his white fur, her paw shaking. "What are you talking about?" She whispered unsteadily.

"What I said in the Jukebox..." A tear trickled down his cheek silently, his blue-green eyes holding hers. "I thought that was what you wanted to hear...I thought you were coming to scream at me for daring to touch you...I thought it would..." He exhaled a shaking breath. "I thought it would make it okay, if you thought it was just me being an idiot..."

The red-gold queen stared at him, her own tears falling unnoticed. Lowering her trembling paw, she asked. "So why did you?"

Presley's legs seemed to go out from beneath him and he sagged to his knees. "Because I'm fragging well in love with you, Nicole." He said so softly that she could barely hear him. "I've never loved anything or anyone like I love you."

She stared down at him. "Y-you what?"

"I knew you wouldn't want someone like me..." Picking at the fur on his thigh, he didn't lift his face to her. "I'm not right for a queen like you. You're too beautiful and funny and nice and...and everything a stupid midget of a tom like me doesn't deserve."

"Pres..."

"You know, I acted like Tugger because that's the way The King gets the girls in his movies. I hoped and thought maybe it would work, but you weren't like them..." He scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. "You were something special...the first I ever felt like this about...I didn't know how to...to even talk to you...I talked like he would...it was the only way I knew how..."

The red-gold queen sank down on Victor's bedding area, staring across at him in bewilderment. This confident, cheerful, flirty little tom had never known a queen? He had never even talked to a queen?

"When you treated me like an idiot...I couldn't work out what I was doing wrong...I-I-I tried to figure out what I had to do to make you stop hating me...I tried to make you laugh and you only got mad...I-I got confused...Topper and Fawn...they just ended up together...I watched to see what he was doing right that I wasn't...he was just being himself...I couldn't be myself...I-I-I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw my father...a tom I would never let near you, never. He would never be good enough for you...that's when I realised I would never either..."

A small sound of shock escaped the queen, but Presley didn't seem to notice. Her hands were pressed to her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes.

"You weren't right, you know...when my fur changed colour, it wasn't cos of Elvis...it was cos of my mama...she died, y'know...got run over by a human outside the house...I loved my mama...she was so pretty...white and gold..." A soft sob escaped him. "My father...he abandoned her, abandoned us...I wanted to be able to look at myself and see something that wasn't bad...I thought if I didn't look like my father, if I looked different, you might see that I wasn't so bad..."

"P-Pres..." Weeping as heavily as he, she crawled to his side and took him in her arms, hugging him to her chest. "I didn't know..."

Clinging to her, his face soaked with tears, he buried his face in her neck. "In the car yard...I-I thought I was going to lose you, Nic...I was going to lose you without ever telling you how I felt...wh-when I kissed you it was...was part to distract you...but part cos...cos I wanted a chance to...I thought that...I thought that if you survived, you would hate me more, but I-I had to take the chance..."

"Oh, Pres..."

"Wh-when we got you back to the yard I...I convinced them to-to let me look after you..." He lifted his face to hers for the first time since he had started talking. Raising his hand, he traced his fingertips down her cheek. "You were so still...so helpless...I didn't want them fussing and crowding you...I made them leave me, cleaned you up...you looked so peaceful when you were sleeping...that's when I really knew it..."

Her throat suddenly dry, Nicole swallowed hard. "Kn-knew what?"

"That I could never love anyone else." He said softly, gently drawing her face closer to his. "I love you and you alone, Nicole. If and as long as you want me, I am yours." His lips skimmed over hers, but he drew back, lifting one of her hands to his lips. Touching his lips to her knuckles, he smiled sadly at her. "Don't forget that."

Rising, he pulled out of her arms and started towards the drapes. "Presley!"

"Nic?"

"Why are you doing this?"

A tragic smile crossed his lips. "Mama always raised me to be a gentleman, Nicci. If you don't want me, I understand, but I am always yours." He pushed through the drapes, letting them flap shut behind him.

Staring after him, Nicole's hand shakily touched the knuckles he had kissed so gently. "Oh Rumpus..." She breathed.

* * *

"Top, out."

The dark grey tom looked injured. "But Fawn..."

"But nothing." The Healer crossed her arms over her chest. "This is queen time only. If you want to talk to someone, go and talk to Presley or Starcatcher." Her mate pouted at her, but she was resolute. "Go!"

Stomping away, he heard the chorus of feminine laughter from behind the curtains, where Mattie, Nicole and Cheetera were sitting. Fawn turned and stepped back through, settling on the heap of pillows beside the Leader's mate.

"So what did you want to talk about, Nicci?" Cheetera had taken the chair as the spokesperson, her hands folded on her belly.

The red-gold queen was leaning against the wall, staring absently up at the ceiling. Her fingers were brushing over the knuckles of her left hand, a small smile playing on her lips. "I was wondering," She murmured. "How did you know that you loved your mates?"

"After our first mating!" Cheetera grinned dirtily. "Bast, if I hadn't loved him before, that alone would have done it for me."

"You horny old bat!"

"That's me." The gold queen preened. "But seriously, I think it was one day after we'd been hunting rats...I just looked at Vic and he was watching me and I mean _really_ watching. It made me feel like...I dunno... like I could fly. I couldn't imagine being away from him after that."

Mattie chuckled. "There speaks the sappy Princess."

"Well, is your story any better than that?" Cheetera prodded the colourful queen with a toe.

"Not really." She grinned. "I knew I loved him the first time I met a tom who wanted to treat me like a queen rather than a mating machine there to churn out kittens." She looked down at her sleeping son in her arms. "And look at where that got me."

"But you're happy?"

Mattie smiled broadly. "Can't imagine being more so." She replied. "We're free. We have a family and a home. Don't get much better than that."

The red queen sighed softly. "Have I mentioned lately that I'm jealous?"

"I'm sure you could find someone, Nic." Cheetera said.

"Someone short and white..."

The red queen's lips twitched in a barely controlled grin. Innocently, looking around, she cleared her throat. "He's not exactly white, though, is he...?" She replied, her eyes dancing with mischief. "More of a cream..."

"WHAT?" Three voices squealed.

"You've been looking at Pres?" Mattie clapped her hands together.

Cheetera waved a hand. "You've been looking at Pres _closely_?"

"The annoying little white prat was the one looking after me when you all thought I was unconscious." She replied, feigning indifference, a wicked grin creeping onto her lips. "I made him cry today."

"Nic, you're truly evil." Fawn shook her head. "What's so wrong with Pres?"

"Apart from everything?" Nicole was struggling to control her tongue, determined not to tell any of them what she and Presley had talked about. Determined not to say how she felt about the little tomcat.

Mattie sighed. "You're never going to give him a chance, are you, Nic?"

The red-gold queen shrugged, touching her knuckles again and wondering briefly what those lips would feel like against other parts of her body. Suddenly, she was very grateful to be red, a flush burning under her fur.

"Are you...blushing, Nicci?" Cheetera said loudly, gesturing to the white patch on the red queen's chest that had gone a peculiar shade of pink.

"No!"

"You are! You're blushing!" Cheetera giggled. "Who are you thinking about? Huh?"

"Um...a tom I saw outside the yard..." Nicole almost grinned. Well, it was true. Okay, he had followed her from the yard, but still...

Fawn's eyes went wide. "Details, girlfriend! Give 'em!"

"Well..." The red queen leaned forward conspiratorially. "First we're gonna have to get rid of the big grey spy hiding on the other side of the drapes."

Fawn yelled in annoyance, racing through the curtains. There was a screech from Topper, then a series of thumps. The Healer re-entered, smiling slightly. "Spy taken care of, Nic. Now, make with the spilling."

"I've only really met him twice..." No lie there. Presley out of Tugger mode had only popped up on two occasions. "He's so cute it's painful. He's funny and adorable and sweet and a real gentleman." Funny, how angst makes you realise the most obvious things. "And," The blush returned full force remembering what had happened on top of that rusted car, only a few weeks earlier. "He's a great kisser."

Cheetera squealed. "Ooooh! Go girl!"

"And when are we going to meet this stud?" Mattie demanded.

"When I can persuade him that you won't laugh at him." The red-gold queen smiled.

Fawn chuckled. "Just tell him about our resident nut-case, Presley." The other two queens started to laugh as well and Nicole rolled her eyes. "What? If Pres doesn't scare this gentleman off, nothing will."

"I guess...ow! Chee!" Cheetera almost knocked Nicole over, rolling to her feet. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Bladder relief." The gold queen replied, rubbing her belly with a groan.

"How come she gets to go out and I was stuck on the bus?" Mattie complained.

Fawn laughed. "Mattie, your kitten was bloody enormous for almost the full term." She gestured an arm's length in front of her, then gestured to Cheetera's slight bump. "Chee's is still small enough that she won't overbalance when she's walking around."

"Healer's pet." The tri-coloured queen pouted petulantly, then cracked up.

"Don't make me laugh!" The Leader's mate wailed, waddling towards the drapes. "I do actually wanna get outside before having a little accident."

As she disappeared, Mattie and Fawn both turned to Nicole, grinning wickedly. "So, Nicci, dear." Mattie cooed sweetly. "Tell us more about this mysterious stranger who swept you off your paws..."

Struggling back onto the bottom step of the bus, Cheetera groaned, rubbing her belly. A frown crossed her brow, a strange scent reaching her nostrils. Sniffing, she peered around the dark interior of the lower deck.

Normally, she knew she should get the Guardians because the smell was an unfamiliar form, but - she mused - it was probably just a rat or something.

Shuffling forward, her eyes narrowed, adjusting to the dimness, she leaned heavily against the vertical pole as she stepped over the heap of matting. Her foot glanced off something soft and warm on the floor.

Before she could cry out in surprise, something solid slammed across her head and as she fell, she saw two gleaming golden orbs flare briefly in the darkness.

With a groan, she slumped on the floor, blackness leaking into her vision.

"You know, she's really taking a very long time." Mattie glanced at the curtains. "Maybe she got stuck on the bottom step and couldn't get any further."

Fawn chuckled, shaking her head at the matronly queen. "I'll tell her that you said that, Matts. She'll love you." She got to her feet and stretched brushing down her fur. "I'll go down and check that she's okay."

Descending the stairs rapidly, she hopped off the lower step of the bus. "Chee?" Peering around the night-shielded yard, the Healer frowned. "Chee, you okay? You haven't dropped the kitt, have you?"

"What's happening?" Starcatcher and Topper's heads both appeared over the edge of the bus roof. "Has something happened?"

Fawn frowned. "Have you guys seen Chee? She nipped out to take a leak and she hasn't come back yet." She glanced back into the bus, then froze, eyes wide. "Rumpus!" A golden foot protruded from beyond the storage area. "Chee!" Lunging onto the bus, she scrambled to the queen's side. "Oh crap!"

The Leader's mate was sprawled, facedown, her body limp. Blood was running from a deep wound on her right temple, her eyes half-closed.

"SOMEONE! HELP!" Placing her fingers against the queen's neck, she felt a surge of relief at the faint flicker of a pulse. "C'mon, Chee..." Carefully turning the queen onto her side, she checked Cheetera hadn't swallowed her tongue, then placed her into the recovery position, as feet pounded down the stairs.

"What's...oh, Bast!" Topper stopped short at the bottom of the flight. "Did she fall? What happened?" He was on his knees beside her in a heartbeat.

Fawn's eyes settled on a metal pole, blood smeared across one end. "Something tells me that this wasn't an accident." She whispered. "Can you get her up the stairs for me, Topper? We need to get her comfortable and I have to check her over."

"No problem." Sliding his arms under her legs and shoulders, he swung the pregnant queen up quickly, her head lolling back. Running lightly up the stairs, he threw himself through the drapes, Mattie and Nicole shrieking in fright. "Tell Star there's an intruder around." He growled, kneeling to lay Cheetera on a pillow.

The two queens scrambled up to the roof, as Fawn knelt down beside the pillow. Placing her hands on either side of the gold queen's temples, she closed her eyes and focused on Cheetera's wounds and any internal damage that might have occurred.

Starcatcher thundered down the stairs, determined to hunt down the perpetrator. Mattie and Nicole nervously re-entered the Infirmary area, suddenly sombre. Settling on the opposite side of the bus, they watched Fawn working.

Carefully closing up the wound, she laid her paws on Cheetera's shoulders and concentrated on returning her to consciousness.

"Hi guys!" The curtains flapped again, but Fawn didn't open her eyes, more than aware who had arrived. There was a terrifying silence, then the voice - now, a low, tremulous growl - snarled. "Who touched her?"

"We don't know." Topper spoke. "Vic, stay calm...Fawn needs to concentrate..."

"I'll kill whoever touched my mate." Fawn rocked back on her heels, exhaling a sigh. Cheetera groaned, her head shifting. "Is she okay?" The pillow moved as Victor dropped down beside his mate. "Fawn? Is she okay? And the kitten?"

The Healer opened her eyes. "They're both fine." She replied softly. "Chee just had a nasty knock on the head."

"Vic..." A moan escaped the gold queen's lips. "You-you're home?"

"I am, love, I am." Gathering her to him, he hugged her close, pressing his lips to her bloody temple. "I'm not leaving you alone again, I swear." She mewed softly, her head slumping against his shoulder. "I'll kill whoever did this to you."

Cheetera shook her head. "No...no...I think I scared him...her...whatever it was..."

"But you didn't smack him on the head with a piece of metal." Topper put in, a low growl underlying his voice.

The queen stirred, cuddling closer to her mate. "I'm fine...no harm done..." She winced. "Apart from a...real head ache...for once..."

"You mean you were faking?"

"Would I?" Nuzzling under her mate's chin, Cheetera raised a shaking paw to touch her aching head. "Maybe...I can sleep now..." She paused casting a bleary glance in Nicole's direction. "Unless Nicci's gonna tell us more..."

"Not a chance, blondie." Nicole reached over and squeezed the smirking gold queen's hand. "I don't spill more than necessary, even if you deliberately do get yourself knocked out in order to try and blackmail me."

Victor looked over at the red queen. "What is she talking about?" He asked, holding the pregnant queen gently, his hand moving gently on her belly.

"Nothing important, Vic." Nicole smiled. "She just told me what I needed to know." Rising, she made her way towards the drapes. "You don't mind if I sleep in your bus tonight, Vic? I need some time alone..." He shrugged, entirely intent on his half-asleep mate.

"You don't want to stay with the rest of us, in case Chee's attacker is still out there?" Mattie suggested, already making herself comfortable on a heap of pillows with her kitten. "Pres probably made it into the house so you'll be on your own."

She shook her head. "I need to think. I'll do it better when I'm alone. I'll lock myself in, if it'll make you feel better." She smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine."

She started to walk through the drapes, but was stopped by Khan's hand touching her arm gently. Alone? He raised a brow, a slight smirk raising the corner of his lips. Are you sure about that?

Wrapping her arm around his head, the queen knuckle-dusted him with a swiftness he had not expected. Bending over his head, she hissed in his ear. "Tell a soul what you know and I'll do this to your mane every single night."

The tom whimpered, staggering to the side and touching his mane. You can trust me not to say a word, Lady Nicole. He wrinkled his face in an image of despair. Have you any idea how long I spent grooming today?

"Vain peacock." She winked, then disappeared down the stairs.

In the centre of the bus, Victor had carried his mate over to the pillows they had been sharing and gently curled himself behind her, his arms wrapped snugly around her belly. Murmuring to her, he looked up as Starcatcher entered, shaking his head.

"Khan." The warlock nodded once. "Double the magic protection." Again, the warlock nodded and went to work, the Leader burrowing his face into his mate's neck and following her quickly into dreamland.

"Aren't they cute?" Topper murmured. "That's a pretty good idea, though."

"We have to stay in case anything happens to Chee." Fawn murmured. Topper nodded. "Are you still on Guardian duty of the gates?"

Starcatcher shook his head. "I'll take the night rotation." He said.

"Thanks, Star." Topper took his mate's hand, leading her over to a comfortable looking heap of blankets and drew her down beside him. "Night guys."

No one was even awake to answer him.

* * *

Leaning back against the wall of the Jukebox, Presley toyed with a string of beads the human's kitten had given him. They were pretty, a strange shade of blue-green that almost matched his eyes.

Outside, the yard was silent and he sighed. Part of him wished he had gone into his nice, snug basket in the house, but this was his home: his own, special house.

Looking up at his handiwork, he had to smile proudly. Thick, insulating red swathes of fabric were pinned over the metal walls, several old CD's fastened in the upper arch of the Jukebox, where the record player had been. They reflected light into the box in the morning, warming and brightening the whole box.

A couple of luxurious satin-covered cushions had been...acquired from Cindy, Helen and Bertie's daughter's bedroom. Not that she would notice, considering she had about a hundred of the things scattered everywhere.

Smoothing a wrinkle in the silky material, he couldn't help noticing that the colour nearly matched the shade of Nicole's glossy fur. A sad smile crept onto his lips, remembering the events of earlier in the day. He had told her. At least he didn't have to worry about that...

TAPTAPTAP.

Jerking upright, he stared at the door, confused. "Who is it?"

"Just me, Pres." The door opened and Nicole slipped gracefully through the gap, pulling it carefully closed behind her. Standing in front of the startled tom, she shrugged. "I thought you might be a bit lonely."

"Uh..." Staring up at her and the way the reflected moonlight was catching her fur, he forced his brain to work. "Do you want to sit down?"

She smiled, crossing the floor to sit beside him. "Why not?" She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "Are you okay, Pres?"

"Babe, of course."

"Don't talk like that." She scolded gently, turning his face in her direction. "You know I don't want to be treated like the Elvis girls."

His eyes dropped. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Well then, don't say anything..." She pressed her lips to his, combing her fingers through his golden mane. His eyes widened in surprise. Drawing away from his lips, she smiled shyly at him. "Show me."

Capturing her lips in a kiss, he carded her paw through her thick mane, her arms sliding around him. "Nic..." He pulled back sharply, staring into her dark green eyes. "Why are you doing this? Is this pity?"

"No, you idiot." She laughed, scraping her claws up his back and making him arch with a groan of pleasure. "This is love." Pressing her muzzle to his neck, she released a thrumming purr of contentment. "If you'll have me, I'm yours."

Blue-green eyes stared down at her. "Nic?"

"Is that an 'okay, I can live with that' or a 'do you think I'm completely insane' Nic?" Stroking her paws down his chest, she gasped in surprise as he caught her in another hungry kiss, one hand running the length of her thigh. "Okay...big yes..." He grinned impishly and her eyes widened in astonishment. "Very big yes!"

Nuzzling her throat, he nipped at her collarbone. "You know I'm crazy anyway, Nic." He murmured huskily.

"Uh...huh..." Her hands roamed down his body.

"Do we tell the others?" He whispered, touching his lips to her neck, slowly travelling down her curvaceous body.

Nicole moaned as his paws drifted over her breasts. "Presley, I don't care what we tell them. I just want you to..." His mouth silenced her, a deep purr rumbling though his small body. "Oh, Bast...Pres..."

Gazing down at her, blue-green eyes heady with adoration, he gave her a brilliant smile. "I love you, Nicole. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Pres..." She arched up against him with a hiss of pleasure, as he joined with her. "And I most definitely love _that_!"

Dipping his head down to kiss her tenderly, the white tom just laughed.

* * *

Chronicler's Note

Well, I know something weird's going on, but I can't figure out what it is. Pres and Nic are back to their regular bitching sessions, at least four times every day, which means all is good and normal there.

Cheetera and Victor are living on the Piccadilly bus with Khan for now, until his Leader-ship's mate drops her sprog. Great - another wailing kitten to keep us awake all night! Just kidding! Jupe is the cutest little thing in the world.

We still don't know what it was that smacked Cheetera, but I bet we won't see it around again, whatever it was. Even if we did, methinketh that Victor wouldn't be too welcoming when he saw he/she/it. For all we know, it could be a singing, dancing, flying, dying winged cat-monkey and wouldn't that be a sight to see?

Anyway, winters kicking in, my pen's frozen to my fingers, so I think its time for me to call it a night and join my mate to...er...defrost.

Signing Out,

Topper aka Ye Colde Icicle (I wonder if Fawn minds _it_ being cold...heheh)

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